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Co‐Relationships between glandular salivary flow rates and dental caries
Author(s) -
Diaz de Guillory Carolina,
Schoolfield John D.,
Johnson Dorthea,
Yeh ChihKo,
Chen Shuo,
Cappelli David P.,
BoberMoken Irene G.,
Dang Howard
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
gerodontology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1741-2358
pISSN - 0734-0664
DOI - 10.1111/ger.12028
Subject(s) - medicine , root caries , dentistry , saliva , ethnic group , coronal plane , geriatric dentistry , oral health , population , anthropology , radiology , environmental health , sociology
Objective This study was designed to evaluate the relationship of age, gender, ethnicity and salivary flow rates on dental caries in an adult population using data collected from the O ral H ealth S an A ntonio L ongitudinal S tudy of A ging ( OH : SALSA ). Background Saliva is essential to maintain a healthy oral environment and diminished output can result in dental caries. Although gender and age play a role in the quantity of saliva, little is known about the interaction of age, gender and ethnicity on dental caries and salivary flow rates. Materials and methods Data from the 1147 participants in the OH : SALSA were analysed. The dependent variables were the number of teeth with untreated coronal caries, number of teeth with root caries and the number of coronal and root surfaces with untreated caries. The independent variables were stimulated and unstimulated glandular salivary flow rates along with the age, sex and ethnicity (e.g. E uropean or M exican ancestry) of the participants. Results Coronal caries experience was greater in younger participants while root surface caries experience was greater in the older participants. Coronal caries was lower in the older age groups while the root caries experience increased. Men had a statistically significant ( p < 0.02) higher experience of root caries than women. Values for unstimulated and stimulated parotid salivary flow rates showed no age difference and remained constant with age, whereas the age differences in the unstimulated and stimulated submandibular/sublingual salivary flow rates were significant. The mean number of teeth with coronal and root caries was higher in M exican‐ A mericans than in E uropean‐ A mericans. Conclusions Over one‐fourth of the adults between the ages of 60 and 79 have untreated root caries over one‐third having untreated coronal caries. Lower salivary flow rates play a significant role in both the number of teeth and the number of surfaces developing caries in these adults. Women and individuals of E uropean‐ A merican ancestry experience less caries.