The Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice

Register      Login

SEARCH WITHIN CONTENT

FIND ARTICLE

Volume / Issue

Online First

Archive
Related articles

VOLUME 9 , ISSUE 3 ( March, 2008 ) > List of Articles

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Dental Caries in Relation to Salivary Factors in Saudi Population Groups

Najat Farsi

Citation Information : Farsi N. Dental Caries in Relation to Salivary Factors in Saudi Population Groups. J Contemp Dent Pract 2008; 9 (3):16-23.

DOI: 10.5005/jcdp-9-3-16

License: CC BY-NC 3.0

Published Online: 01-07-2009

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2008; The Author(s).


Abstract

Aims

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to register caries trends in relation to some risk factors such as oral hygiene, salivary level of streptococcus mutans (SM), lactobacilli (LB), yeast, salivary flow rate, buffering capacity, pH, and fluoride level among different age groups of a Saudi population. The study also aimed at determining which of the salivary factors correlate significantly to caries.

Methods and Materials

A random sample of 312 subjects belonging to age groups six-11, 12-17, and 18-40 years were selected from patients attending the screening dental clinics of the Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Patients were examined clinically to measure the caries experience using decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) and oral hygiene levels using the Green and Vermillion method. Resting and stimulated saliva were collected to determine flow rate, fluoride, pH, buffering capacity as well as salivary level of SM, LB and yeast.

Results

The mean DMFT was 7.59. Females as well as the older age group of patients were more affected than males and younger patients. The only salivary factor showing a significant relationship to caries was pH. Counts of SM and LB correlated positively with DMFT scores. Significant higher plaque scores were present among the highest caries level group.

Conclusion

The results stress the importance of screening for caries risk factors. The screening starts with simple clinical observations, expanding to a diversified pattern of tests to assess the pH level and SM and LB counts designed to target high-risk subjects who should be given the most intensive caries preventive measures.

Citation

Farsi N. Dental Caries in Relation to Salivary Factors in Saudi Population Groups. J Contemp Dent Pract 2008 March; (9)3:016-023.


PDF Share
  1. Risk indicators for early childhood caries in Taiwan. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2006; 34:437-445.
  2. The oral and treatment needs of schoolchildren in Trinidad and Tobago: findings of a national survey. Int J Paediatr Dent 2006; 16:412-418.
  3. Caries distribution in the dentition and significant caries index in Swedish 4-year-old children 1980-2002. Oral Health Prev Dent 2006; 4:209-214
  4. The dentinal caries experience of children in the United Kingdonm, 2003. Br Dent J 2006; 200:313-320.
  5. The prevalence and pattern of nursing caries in Saudi preschool children. Inter J Paed Dent 2001; 11:361-364.
  6. Prevalence of dental caries, severity, and pattern in age 6 to 7-year-old children in a selected community in Saudi Arabia. J Contemp Dent Pract 2006; 7:46-54.
  7. Influence of sample type and collection method on Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus spp. Counts in the oral cavity. Oral Health Prev Dent 2005; 3:15-23.
  8. Saliva and dental caries: diagnostic tests for normal dental practice. Int Dent J 1992; 42:199-208.
  9. Are mutans streptococci detected in preschool children a reliable predictive factor d\for dental caries risk? Caries Res 2006; 40:366-374.
  10. Oral cleanliness and dental caries. In the prevention of oral disease, 3rd ed, Murray JJ ed, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 68-77.
  11. 1997.
  12. The Simplified oral hygiene index. J Am Dent Assoc 1964; 68:7-13.
  13. Salivary streptococcus mutans, Lactobacilli levels and buffer capacity in children with esophageal burns. J Clin Pediatr Dent 2000; 24:147-151.
  14. Dental plaque, caries prevalence and gingival conditions of 14-15-year-old schoolchildren in Jerash District, Jordan. Int J Dent Hyg 2006; 4:150-153.
  15. Oral health status of homeless people in Hong Kong. Spec Care Dentist 2006; 26:150-154.
  16. Assessing the prevalence of dental caries among elementary school children in North Korea: a cross-sectional survey in the Kangwon province. Int J Dent Hyg 2005; 3:112-116.
  17. Dental caries experience and use of dental services among preschool children in Ajman, UAE. Int J Paediatr Dent 2006; 16:257-262.
  18. Oral health status among Kenyans in rural arid setting: dental; caries experience and knowledge on its causes. East Afr Med J 2006; 83:100-105.
  19. Dental health of 12-year-olds in Israel-2002. Community Dent Health 2005; 22:175-179.
  20. Explaining sex differences in dental caries prevalence: saliva, hormones, and “life-history” etiologies. Am J Hum Biol 2006; 18:540-555.
  21. Caries experience and streptococci and lactobacilli salivary levels in 6-8-year-old Sardinians. Int J Paed Dent 2000; 10:306-312.
  22. Dental caries in twelveand fifteen-year-olds results from the basic oral health survey in Haiti. J Public Health Dent 2005; 65:209-214.
  23. Dental caries and antemortem tooth loss in the Northern Peten area, Mexico: a biocultural perspective on social status differences among the Classic Maya. Am J Phys Anthropol 2003; 122:1-10.
  24. Cariogenic oral flora and its relation to dental caries. J Dent Children 2000;42-46.
  25. What Is the Critical PH and Why Does a Tooth Dissolve in Acid. J Can Dent Assoc 2003; 69:722-724.
  26. Salivary flow rate in children and adolescents. Swed Dent J 1984; 8:271-276.
  27. Correlation among mutans streptococci counts, dental caries, and IgA to Streptococcus mutans in saliva. Pesqui Odontol Bras 2004; 18:350-355.
  28. Health benefits of saliva: a review. J Dent 2005; 33:223-233.
  29. Salivary flow and its relationship to oral signs and symptoms in patients with dry eyes. Oral Dis 2004; 10:75-80.
  30. Demineralization and remineralization around orthodontic appliances: an in vitro study. Am J Orthod 1987; 92:33-40.
  31. Dependence in in vitro demineralization and remineralization of dental enamel on fluoride concentration. J Dent Res 1990; 69:620-625.
  32. Caries risk assessment by a cross-sectional discrimination model. J Dent Res 1993; 72:529-537.
  33. Chemical analysis of saliva: a longitudinal study. J Dent Res 1995; 74:15.
  34. Prevention and reversal of dental caries: role of flow level fluoride. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1999; 27:31-40.
  35. Fluoride in mixed human saliva after different topical fluoride treatments and possible relation to caries inhibition. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1982; 10:124-129.
  36. Flow rate and composition of whole saliva in children from rural and urban Thailand with different caries prevalence and dietary intake. Caries Res 1997; 31:148-154.
  37. Preventive dentistry in private practice in Finland. Proc Finn Dent Soc 1988; 84:183-190.
  38. Evaluation of salivary test and dental status in the prediction of caries increment in caries-susceptible teenagers. Caries Res 1996; 30:22-28.
  39. Intra - and inter-individual variation in salivary flow rate, buffer effect, lactobacilli, and mutans streptococci among 11-to 12-year-old schoolchildren. Acta Odontol Scand 1993; 51:31-37.
  40. Caries risk in children: determined by levels of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli. J Clin Pediatr Dent 2005; 29:329-333.
  41. Can caries be predicted? In Thylstrup A, Fejerkov O. (eds): Textbook of Clinical Cariology: Copenhagen, Munksgaard, 1994.
  42. The value of salivary bacterial counts as a supplement to past caries experience as caries predictor in children. Eur J Oral Sci 2001; 109:312-315.
  43. Validation and inter-examiner agreement of mutans streptococci levels in plaque and saliva of 10-year-old children using simple chair-side tests. Acta Odontol Scand 2004; 62:153-157.
  44. Mode of delivery and other maternal factors influence the acquisition of Streptococcus mutans in infants. J Dent Res 2005; 84:806-811.
  45. Prevalence of dental caries in Sri Lankan aboriginal Veddha children. Int Dent J 2002;52:438-444.
  46. Prevalence of candida albicans in oral cavities and root canals of children. J Dent Child 2002; 69:289-235.
  47. Does a clinical evaluation of oral cleanliness correlate with caries incidence in preschool children? Findings from a cohort study. J Oral Sci 2003; 45:93-98.
  48. Comparing caries risk factor and risk profiles between children and elderly. Swed Dent J 2004; 28:119-128.
PDF Share
PDF Share

© Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) LTD.