Estudo comparativo do risco à cárie em crianças sadias e imunocomprometidas

Purpose: Compare the risk for dental caries between a group of immunodeficient children and a group of healthy children, by analysis of salivary flow (SF), the hydrogenionic potential of saliva (pH), buffering capacity (BC), Streptococcus mutans count (SM) and the presence of dental caries. Methodology: Thirty children were selected for this study and divided in G1- immunodeficient children and G2-healthy children. Salivary flow (SF) was obtained by the method of stimulated saliva. The measurement of pH and TC levels were measured by pH indicator strips. To determine Streptococcus mutans (SM), 0.1 ml of each sample was transferred to a microtube with 0.9 ml sterile NaCl. Four dilutions were made and 0.1 ml aliquots of each dilution were inoculated in Mitis salivarius agar and incubated at 37 °C for 48h. The children underwent to an intraoral clinical examination to identify dental caries. The data were analyzed by the Mann- Whitney test (α=0.05). Results: G1 and G2 showed very low values of SF. Both groups showed normal pH values. With regard to BC, the majority of subjects in both groups had pH> 5.5. There was no statistically significant difference regarding the levels of SF, SM and the presence of carious lesions. Conclusion: Immunodeficiency was not a determinant factor to increase the risk of caries to the evaluated children. Caries risk in children with and without immunodeficiency - a comparative study