Biochemical analysis of the saliva of patients with cognitive and physical disabilities as a practical class strategy Revista da ABENO • 20(2):137-146, 2020 – DOI: 10.30979/rev.abeno.v20i2.1029 1 Biochemical analysis of the saliva of patients with cognitive and physical disabilities as a practical Biochemistry class strategy in the Dentistry course Antonio Hernandes Chaves Neto*; Maria Flávia Marques Ribeiro**; Ana Cláudia de Melo Stevanato Nakamune* * Assistant Professor Doctor, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Dentistry, Araçatuba, Department of Basic Sciences and Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas, UNESP-SBFis, Brazil ** Full Professor, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Institute of Basic Health Sciences (ICBS), Physiology Department, Brazil Received March 9, 2020. Approved August 27, 2020. ABSTRACT Given the importance of teaching biochemistry in dental surgeon training courses, the objective was to present a pedagogical strategy that enables the articulation of basic molecular concepts within the subject, allowing a better understanding of the complexity of oral and systemic diseases, through the biochemical analysis of saliva from patients with cognitive and physical disabilities at the Dental Assistance Center for Disabled Persons (CAOE) of the School of Dentistry, Araçatuba - São Paulo State University (UNESP). For this purpose, groups of five students analyzed the saliva collected by a dental surgeon from CAOE. Immediately after collection, salivary flow, pH, and buffering capacity were determined. Subsequently, the saliva was centrifuged, fractionated, and stored at -20 °C until the time of biochemical analysis. During the practical classes, using commercial kits, the samples were tested for: total protein, α-amylase, alkaline phosphatase, uric acid, glucose, aspartate aminotransferase, calcium, and phosphorus. At the end of the school year, students presented a report contextualizing the results with the patient's oral and systemic health. Tutoring sessions with monitors and teachers helped in the interpretation of the anamnesis form and the correlations of oral and systemic clinical parameters. For incoming students, this was the first opportunity to integrate theoretical knowledge with clinical perspectives. It is concluded that the adopted strategy is viable and can benefit educators who seek alternatives that allow the integration of basic and clinical sciences for teaching Biochemistry in Dentistry. Descriptors: Learning. Teaching. Education, Dental. Biochemistry. Saliva.