EVALUATION AND COMPARISON OF SALIVARY TOTAL ANTIOXIDANT LEVEL, pH AND FLOW RATE AMONG CARIES ACTIVE AND CARIES FREE CHILDREN.

Oral hygiene, saliva and its constituents have crucial role in the development of dental caries. AIM: To correlate the Total Antioxidant Level (TAL), pH and Flow Rate (FR) of unstimulated saliva with caries. DESIGN: sixty children aged 6-13 years attended to the department of Pedodontics were selected. Caries Active (CA, n=30) and Caries Free (CF, n=30). METHODOLOGY: Salivary antioxidant level estimated by Phosphomolybdenum method, pH by digital pH meter and FR measured in milliliter/minute. RESULTS: Total antioxidant level was significantly high in CA (0.19) than CF children (0.08), pH (CA: 5.96, CF: 7.13) and FR (CA: 0.32 ml/min, CF: 0.42 ml/min) were less in caries active and more in free group. CONCLUSION: Higher level of total antioxidant level, lower level of pH and FR among caries active children can be used as a caries risk indicator.