Comparison of Salivary Antioxidants in Children with Primary Tooth Abscesses before and after Treatment in Comparison with Healthy Subjects

AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of children with primary molar abscesses before and two weeks after extraction of the infected tooth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty one children aged between 3-6 years participatesd in this cross sectional study. The antioxidant activity of saliva was investigated in 20 patients with tooth abscesses affecting one of the first primary molars before and after tooth extraction in the case group and once in 21 children with no caries or dental problems in the control group. The FRAP (ferric reduction antioxidant power) method was used to measure the antioxidant power of salivary samples and TAC values were calculated. Data were analyzed with SPSS Version 16 using the paired t-test at a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: The mean antioxidant index increased in children after (509.2 ± 138.4) treatment (before 483.4 ± 183.6), but this difference was not significant (P=0.61). Also, there was no difference in the mean antioxidant index in control group (494.5±147.9) compared the study group before (P=0.83) and after (P=0.75) treatment. CONCLUSION: Under the conditions of this study the total antioxidant capacity of saliva was not compromised in children with abscessed teeth.