Lead Exposure and its Relation to Dental Caries in Children

Abstract

Environmental pollution is a significant health hazard and is mainly caused by commercialization. The etiology of dental caries is multifactorial and one such factor is exposure to trace element such as lead. Aim: Hence, the present study was carried out to find out the correlation between the levels of lead in the enamel, saliva and dental caries in children. Method: 90 children aged 5 years consisting of both genders from different kindergartens along Coastal Karnataka were included in the study. The selected children were divided into 3 groups as; control group, early childhood caries (ECC) group and severe-ECC (S-ECC) group respectively. Enamel and salivary lead level was assessed by using graphite atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results: Mean enamel lead levels in the control, ECC and S-ECC group were 47.7, 85.45 and 90.43 ppm respectively and mean salivary lead levels were 0.23, 1.7 and 1.77 ppm respectively which was statistically very highly significant (p < 0.001) with no gender predilection. There was a positive correlation seen between the enamel and the salivary lead levels (p ≯ 0.05).Conclusion: The enamel and the saliva of all the children had measurable amounts of lead and its levels increased with increase in severity of dental caries proving the cariogenic potential of lead. A positive correlation was seen between the enamel and the salivary lead levels.