Caries experience and salivary constituents among overweight children aged 6-11 years in Baghdad, Iraq

Abstract EN

Background : The overweight and obesity have serious health consequences including the health of oral cavity; therefore this study was conducted to assess the dental caries and some salivary constituents among the overweight children and compare them with the normal weighted children of the same age and gender.

Materials and methods : The total sample composed of 478 children aged 6-11years, 239 normal weighted and 239 overweight children.

The assessment of nutritional status was performed using Body Mass Index specific for age and gender.

The diagnosis and recording of dental caries was according to Manji et al (1).

Salivary sample were collected under standardized condition and then analyzed for estimation essential elements (zinc, copper, and calcium) by using flame atomic absorption spectrophotomerty (AAS) while the iron and total protein level by using spectrophotometric analysis.

Results : The results showed that the caries experience for primary and permanent dentition among the overweight was highly significant lower than that among the normal weighted children The data analysis of the present study found that the level of salivary copper, zinc, calcium, and total protein were higher among the overweight children than the normal weighted children while the salivary iron level was lower among the overweight than that among the normal weighted children, however all the difference were not significant.

Conclusion : Many salivary elements that were found to be higher among overweight children could protect oral tissue from diseased condition.