Association between season and temperature and unstimulated parotid and submandibular/sublingual secretion rates.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate parotid and submandibular/sublingual (SM/SL) unstimulated salivary secretion rate in a group of healthy individuals in winter and summer, and to observe the effect of room-adjusted temperature (air-conditioning) on salivary flow-rate in those seasons.

Design: Unstimulated salivary secretion rates of the right parotid and the SM/SL glands were measured in 50 healthy Israeli volunteers. Each volunteer was evaluated four times during the study: twice in winter (February-March) and twice in summer (July-August).