Calcium and Inorganic Phosphorous Levels in Stimulated and Unstimulated Saliva in Early Childhood Caries – A Comparative Study

Introduction: Saliva, a chief player in the oral cavity, is determined by its secretion rate and quality to aid either in the development of caries, or its remineralization. The ability for saliva to function as a source of calcium and phosphate increases its supportive properties as it influences the precipitation or dissolution of calcium hydroxyapatite (HAP), the principal inorganic component of dental hard tissue.

Materials&Methods: 30 healthy children, aged between 3 and 6 years old were screened and recruited for the study at the Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry of the A.B Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, a constituent of Nitte University. The subjects were clinically examined and scored based on their decayed, missing (due to caries) and filled surfaces (dfs) and were further categorized into two equal groups of 15.

Result: In the subjects with Early Childhood Caries (ECC), the mean calcium concentration in samples of unstimulated saliva was 4.2383 ± 0.8594 and in samples of stimulated saliva was 4.1965 ± 0.6240. While, the mean inorganic phosphorous concentration in samples of unstimulated saliva was 3.219 ± 0.8540and in samples of stimulated saliva was 3.0634 ± 0.5470.

Conclusion: From this study, we obtained a relationship between calcium, saliva and the caries status of children with the calcium concentration decreasing with increase in the caries status, as well as on stimulation of saliva.