title: Total Salivary Anti-oxidant Levels, Dental Development and Oral Health Status in Childhood Obesity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objectives of this study were to assess the total antioxidant levels, dental development, and oral health status in childhood obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 120 children aged 6-12 years consisting of both genders from different school along Coastal Karnataka, India were part of the study and were categorized into obese/overweight, and normal children based on body mass index for age and sex. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels determined by phosphomolybidic acid and spectrophotometric method were considered. Oral hygiene index-simplified, modified gingival index and dentition status index were used to analyze oral health status. Dental development was assessed using a clinical method and correlated with standard chronology of human dentition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Levels of the total salivary antioxidants were increased in the study group which is very highly significant when compared with control group, oral health status in both the study group and control group was good. Number of children in study group showing accelerated dental development is relatively less when compared with control group, but is not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Salivary TAC was significantly high in overweight and obese children than their normal counterparts. Prevalence of dental caries was high in obese/overweight children when compared to normal children.
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Pedodontics, Navodaya Dental College, Raichur, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Gururaj
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gunjalli
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, KVG Dental College and Hospital, Sullia, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: K Naveen
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Peoples College of Dental Sciences, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Swapnil Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Teerthankar Mahavir Dental College and Research Center, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Satheesh Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Peoples College of Dental Sciences, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Girish R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Shavi
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, KVG Dental College and Hospital, Sullia, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Sunil Lingaraj
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ajagannanavar
keywords: Body mass index; childhood obesity; oral health status