Salivary Characteristics in a Sample of Preschool Children with Severe Early Childhood Caries (S-ECC)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the salivary counts of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli, as well as measure the saliva buffering capacity and salivary flow rate in a sample of preschool children with severe early childhood caries in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The study was designed as a cross-sectional investigation; sixty children diagnosed to have severe early childhood caries were selected and another thirty caries free children were selected as control. Children were selected according to certain criteria; healthy normal, diagnosed as severe early childhood caries and age range 36-71 months. A clinical examination was done to measure decayed, missing and filled index, salivary tests to measure bacterial counts, buffering capacity and salivary flow rate. There was a highly significant difference in streptococcus count (p = 0.02), lactobacillus count (p = 0.00), between both groups, but there was no significant difference in the saliva buffering capacity and salivary flow rate. Based on the sample of patient studied, it was concluded that Streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli counts are major risk factors. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in the saliva buffering capacity and salivary flow rate between the two groups.