The impact of malnutrition on dental health of 12-year-old children: a study on permanent teeth caries, cariogenic bacteria and salivary IgA

Abstract

Introduction: Malnutrition in children is epidemic in developing countries. Several health issues and consequences are believed to develop due to this phenomenon. Children’s oral health is also affected by malnutrition. The main aspects of oral health status are caries experience, the existence of cariogenic bacteria, and salivary immunoglobulin A. Materials and methods: This comparative study included 87 school children aged 12 years. Participants with systemic disease were excluded. An oral examination was conducted to record the DMFT score, then saliva samples were collected in the morning using an unstimulated method. Salivary IgA were analyzed using Sandwich ELISA technology. Malnutrition was based on body mass index (BMI) which was computed as weight/height2 (kg/m2). Ethical approval was granted by the ethical committee at the Faculty of Dentistry. Informed consents from children’s parents were gained prior to the start of the study. Results: Compared to the normal weight group, the results of this study showed that overweight and obesity are inversely correlated with the mean DMFT and the number of S. mutans and S. sobrinus. Salivary IgA was negatively correlated with overweight and obesity, compared to normal weight group. Conclusions: Children suffering from malnutrition are at risk of developing oral health diseases. Treating malnutrition will therefore improve children’s overall oral health.