Flow Rate and Buffering Capacity of the Saliva as Indicators of the Susceptibility to Caries Disease

Objective: To correlate salivary indices with the DMFT/dmft index, which is an indicator of caries prevalence, and the adoption of educational measures for oral health promotion. Method: Saliva samples were collected from 56 children of both genders (28 girls and 28 boys), aged 5 to 7 years at the Santana de Itatiaia Municipal School. Prior to saliva collection, the research project was explained to the parents and/or guardians and their written consent was obtained for enrolment of the children in the study. Saliva was collected by masticatory stimulation. Thereafter, the volume of saliva was recorded by the operator and the salivary flow rate was calculated (mL/5 min) for each participant. The buffering capacity of the saliva of each sample was determined by titration, measuring the volume of 0.1 N lactic acid required for decreasing the salivary pH from 6.9 to 3.7. Results: Among the studied children, 23% presented a salivary flow rate below the mean value. In 62% of the children, the values of the buffering capacity of the saliva classified them as susceptible to caries disease. In the present study, there was a moderate correlation (p=0.79) between the buffering capacity of the saliva and DMFT/dmft, confirming the complex etiology of the caries disease. Conclusion: Flow rate and buffering capacity of saliva should be analyzed together with other factors for determining the cariogenic potential. The findings of this study indicate the need of intervening in order to promote of educational measures of prevention and health promotion.