PROVIDING AN INDICATION OF A PERSON'S GUM HEALTH

摘要

An optical analysis of saliva or a fluid-saliva mixture is performed in order to check whether the saliva or fluid-saliva mixture contains blood, which allows for determining whether or not a person may suffer from gingivitis or another condition affecting gum health. Light received from a representative volume of fluid (23) containing saliva is detected and analyzed. The analysis involves determination of at least one measurement value of light received by a light-receiving unit (25) for only a single wavelength of the light, particularly a wavelength that is associated with high absorption by a constituent of blood. It this respect, it is practical if the light-receiving unit (25) is configured to receive reflected light back from the volume of fluid (23). The optical analysis may be performed real-time during an action in a person's mouth involving a gum agitation effect, or after such action has taken place, for example.