Educational strategies and ART effect on salivary characteristics: a controlled clinical trial

Summary

Objective

To evaluate educational strategies and ART-restoration impact on salivary physicochemical and microbiological characteristics.

Design

Two groups of 6-7-yr-old children were included: G_ART, with at least one decayed primary molar (n=36), submitted to 4 sessions of oral health educational strategy (OHES) and ART-restoration; G_C, a paired caries-free group (n=36), submitted to 4 sessions of OHES. Three evaluations were carried out: baseline, one week after OHES and one month after OHES or ART, when biofilm and gingivitis frequencies, salivary flow, pH, buffer capacity, calcium and phosphorus concentrations were assessed. Total bacteria and S. mutans were quantified in unstimulated saliva (qPCR).

Results

Improvement in biofilm and gingivitis scores, salivary pH and buffering capacity after OHES was observed in G_C, with a decrease in total bacteria and S. mutans counts. G_ART also showed changes in salivary parameters, even before ART-restoration was delivered, and total bacteria count remained lower than baseline one month after ART-restoration, although a trend to increase the proportion of S. mutans was observed.

Conclusion

Improvements in salivary physicochemical and microbiological characteristics were observed after educational strategies, thus reducing the caries-risk of children with decayed teeth, although a trend to increase the S. mutans percentage was observed one month after ART-restoration.

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