Abstract
Effects of pressure-stimulation on salivary secretion were examined in three women aged 23, 38, and 41 years old from a hygienic point of view. Pressure was applied evenly to the subjects' waists using a waistband 2.5 cm in width. Pressure stimuli of 2-min duration were applied twice at 4-min intervals and their intensities ranged from 3.3 to 14.3 mmHg. Waistband-pressures, developed between the waistband and the abdominal skin, were measured using a hydrostatic pressure-balanced method. In all subjects, the amount of whole saliva secreted in the mouth decreased when their waists were pressed. Minimum intensities of pressure necessary to decrease salivary secretion differed among individuals, ranging from 4.3 to 9.2 mmHg, and were estimated at 1.2 to 3.1 on a ratio scale, in which “perfect fit” and “very tight” were standardized as 1 and 10, respectively. The analysis of salivary secretion described in this study was useful to examine the effects of weak pressure on the human body.
