Abstract
Background: This study aimed to test the association between the unstimulated whole salivary flow rate (UWSFR)
and the oral health status represented by dental and gingival status among healthy adult subjects.
Material and Methods: This work was a cross-sectional study of patients attending the undergraduate dental clinics
at AlFarabi College for Dentistry and Nursing, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study population consisted of 502
systemically healthy adults aged 18–35 years. UWSFR was collected for all study participants and expressed as
ml/min. Oral health status was estimated using the Community Periodontal Index (CPI) and the Oral Hygiene
Index-Simplified (OHI-S). The number of decayed teeth and the number of available teeth were also calculated to
evaluate dental status.
Results: The mean UWSFR was 0.42 (±0.3) ml/min, and the male participants significantly had more UWSFR
than the females. UWSFR was significantly affected by CPI, OHI-S, body mass index (BMI) and gender as indicated
in the univariate analysis. However, multiple regression analysis revealed that only gender was a significant
predictor of UWSFR. The male subjects were shown to have a higher average of 0.133 ml/min than the females.
Conclusions: High BMI scores, moderate-to-severe gingivitis and low level of oral hygiene increased UWSFR.
However, further longitudinal studies are recommended to test the role of salivary cytokine levels to validate the
exact association between the UWSFR and the oral health status.
and the oral health status represented by dental and gingival status among healthy adult subjects.
Material and Methods: This work was a cross-sectional study of patients attending the undergraduate dental clinics
at AlFarabi College for Dentistry and Nursing, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study population consisted of 502
systemically healthy adults aged 18–35 years. UWSFR was collected for all study participants and expressed as
ml/min. Oral health status was estimated using the Community Periodontal Index (CPI) and the Oral Hygiene
Index-Simplified (OHI-S). The number of decayed teeth and the number of available teeth were also calculated to
evaluate dental status.
Results: The mean UWSFR was 0.42 (±0.3) ml/min, and the male participants significantly had more UWSFR
than the females. UWSFR was significantly affected by CPI, OHI-S, body mass index (BMI) and gender as indicated
in the univariate analysis. However, multiple regression analysis revealed that only gender was a significant
predictor of UWSFR. The male subjects were shown to have a higher average of 0.133 ml/min than the females.
Conclusions: High BMI scores, moderate-to-severe gingivitis and low level of oral hygiene increased UWSFR.
However, further longitudinal studies are recommended to test the role of salivary cytokine levels to validate the
exact association between the UWSFR and the oral health status.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 22245 |
| Pages (from-to) | e384-e390 |
| Journal | Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral y Cirugia Bucal |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jul 2018 |