Source 4

Source Document Analysis Worksheet

Babaee Neda, Gholizadehpasha Atefeh, Zahedpasha Samir, Moghadamnia Yasaman, Zamaniejad Shiva, Moghadamnia Ali Akbar				26 November 2011
Author’s name (last, first)				Publication date
Effects of milk curd on saliva secretion in healthy volunteer compared to baseline, 2% pilocarpine and equivalent pH adjusted acetic acid solutions
Title
Indian Journal of Dental Research		Babol, Iran, Indian Journal of Dental Research
Book series OR Journal		Location and publisher OR volume, issue, pages

1. What is the source’s stated purpose (the argument or thesis)?

The purpose of this research paper is to determine the effects of milk curd on the amount of saliva secretion. Saliva has a critical role in the natural oral cavity environment. Factors that affect salivary function may change hard and soft oral tissue integrity and function and may increase the prevalence of digestive illness. Xerostomia (dry mouth) can be helped by a drug called Pilocarpine, which increases saliva production by 42%-52%, but they are trying to determine whether there are other more natural resources. The thought is that the sour taste of milk curd may contribute to increased salivation, but this will be tested in the research.

2. What evidence does the author provide to support his or her main argument? How is the author attempting to logically prove his or her thesis and how does this affect the organization of the document?

These authors found that milk curd and pilocarpine showed a significant increase in saliva secretion at the end of the first minute in their five-minute collecting period. All groups of milk curd (.5%, 1%, 2%, 4%) showed a significant increase in saliva secretion compared to baseline. Greater differences were seen for 2% and 4% milk curd than for the other groups. The difference between the group receiving .5% milk curd and the group getting 4% milk curd was also significant after 2 minutes. However, the changes in saliva secretion between the study groups were not statistically significant. No significant differences were seen in saliva secretion at minutes 3, 4, and 5, as compared to baseline.

To determine whether pH had an effect on saliva secretion, they performed some tests. They found that no significant differences were seen in the saliva secretion rates at any sampling time point between the baseline and after administration of acetic acid drops with pH levels equivalent to those of the milk curd drops. It was believed that milk curd increases saliva secretion due to its sour taste, but there is no scientific evidence to support this notion.

3. Who is the audience? What does the author assume the audience already knows about the topic?

The audience that is being addressed is any individual curious about how to increase saliva production. This can range from people with dysfunctions to diseases to old age. They propose that gum with milk curd enrichment can be beneficial for helping with dry mouth in these populations.

4. Describe the author’s methods (i.e. how does the author know what he or she knows)?  In your opinion were they appropriate why or why not?

The authors were very appropriate in the way that they gathered their information. They took a random survey of women between certain ages and set up very specific parameters.

5. To what other sources (theorist, researchers, artists) does the author refer? Explain the specific ideas the author draws upon from these other sources to support his or her own argument (the theoretical framework).

The authors do not refer to any other similar studies performed. Much of what they were testing was the first of its kind.

6. What are the connections between this source and your project? How useful or applicable is this source’s approach to your own project? How is yours new and different? 

This source is a very unique and helpful aid in my research because it brings up questions that I had not thought of before. I never thought of looking into common day foods to determine if they can aid in the production of saliva. This is just one type of food that improves the saliva production in the mouth. There must be other foods that can help in a similar fashion or that can help with oral hygiene. It would be interesting to look into what foods have a benefit in oral care and see if those products are used in India.