Background: Calcium plays an important role in bone turn over. Deficiency of calcium in hypothyroid patients often results in osteoporosis. It is a disease which is characterized by severe destruction of organic and mineral parts of the bone resulting in fractures of bone. Estimation of serum calcium levels in hypothyroid patients is an instilled method but as it is invasive and time taking, in this study we tried to estimate the salivary calcium levels which is noninvasive, patient friendly and easy to monitor. Aims: To estimate the serum calcium and salivary calcium levels in known hypothyroid patients. To implicate salivary calcium estimation as a flipside to serum calcium estimation as it is noninvasive and patient friendly Materials and methods: Study group consisted of 30 hypothyroid patients and Control group consisted of 30 healthy volunteers. Blood sample of 2ml was collected in micropipettes from both groups. From the same patient salivary sample was collected with spitting method. Serum calcium levels and salivary calcium levels were estimated with the help of calcium reagent and semi auto analyser. Results: Results showed a significant decrease in the serum and salivary levels of Calcium in the study group when compared to the control group (p<0.0001). The difference between serum and salivary calcium level in both the groups was statistically insignificant. Conclusion: Salivary diagnostics is noninvasive and can be used as a diagnostic & screening tool alternative to invasive blood investigation even in estimating calcium levels in hypothyroid patients.
