title: Evaluation of oral hygiene status, salivary characteristics and dental caries experience in acute lymphoblastic leukemic (ALL) children.
abstract: Leukemia constitutes approximately 30% of all childhood cancers and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the most common type of malignancy. Oral dryness, ulceration, increased dental decay seen is due to altered salivary flow rate and buffering capacity in these children. Oxidative stress may play an important role in the malignancies resulting in onset of inflammatory oral pathologies. Saliva constitutes first line of defense against free radical-mediated oxidative stress. The present study attempted to relate the oral health status, salivary flow rate, salivary pH, gingival health status, dental caries experience and total salivary antioxidant levels in ALL children. A total of 120 children aged 4-10 years (90 leukemic children, study group and 30 normal healthy siblings, control group) were divided into 4 groups of 30 each. Oral health status, gingival status and dental caries experience was recorded followed by un-stimulated saliva collection. Total antioxidant capacity of un-stimulated saliva was evaluated. The results depicted deterioration in oral health status, gingival status and increased dental caries experience in leukemic children. Salivary flow rate, salivary pH and total salivary antioxidant levels were lowered in leukemic children when compared with control group.
authors.affiliation: PRIST University, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. amipedo@yahoo.co.in
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hegde
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shetty
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D019140:Dental Care for Children; D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000150:complications*; D003732:Dental Caries Activity Tests; D004358:Drug Therapy; D005882:Gingival Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010512:Periodontal Index; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D012016:Reference Values; D012463:Saliva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012472:Salivation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012636:Secretory Rate
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants