title: Intercomparison of salivary nitric oxide as a biomarker of dental caries risk between caries-active and caries-free children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the efficacy of salivary nitric oxide as a biomarker for dental caries risk in children and to compare the salivary nitric oxide levels in caries-active and caries-free children.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred children aged 6-12 years were selected and were divided into two groups according to DMFT index: as caries-free consisting of 50 individuals (DMFT/dmft = 0) and caries-active group (DMFT/dmft ≥3) consisting of 50 individuals. The saliva collected was estimated for nitric oxide level by Griess reaction method. Paired t test was used to correlate the difference of mean salivary nitric oxide levels between caries-active and caries-free groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean level of nitric oxide in saliva of the control group was 581.3 ± 134.6 μg/mL and that of caries-active group was 335.4 ± 111.1 μg/mL, respectively. The mean salivary level of nitric oxide was higher in the caries-free group as compared with the caries-active group which was statistically significant (p = 0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Salivary nitric oxide was higher in the caries-free group as compared to the caries-active group which suggests that increased production of nitric oxide in the oral cavity may contribute to lower caries incidence in children.
authors.affiliation: ITS Centre for Dental Studies and Research, Delhi-Meerut Road, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, 201206, India. meenasyed10@yahoo.com.|Department of Pedodontics, ITS-CDSR Centre for Dental Studies and Research, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, 201206, India. meenasyed10@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Syed
authors.affiliation: ITS Centre for Dental Studies and Research, Delhi-Meerut Road, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, 201206, India.|Department of Pedodontics, ITS-CDSR Centre for Dental Studies and Research, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, 201206, India.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sachdev
authors.affiliation: ITS Centre for Dental Studies and Research, Delhi-Meerut Road, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, 201206, India.|Department of Pedodontics, ITS-CDSR Centre for Dental Studies and Research, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, 201206, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chopra
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis*; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009569:Nitric Oxide
keywords: Caries risk assessment; Salivary biomarkers; Salivary nitric oxide