The Relationship between Salivary Total Antioxidant Capacity and Dental Caries in Children: A Meta-Analysis with Assessment of Moderators

OBJECTIVE: There has been variation reported in literature examining the relationship between dental caries and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of saliva in children. This study aimed to systematically review the literature and conduct a meta-analysis of the association between dental caries and TAC in children. METHODOLOGY: A systematic review of literature was done using the PubMed, Medline, and EBSCO libraries. Of the total of 68 records found, 11 studies were qualitatively assessed in the final analysis. These studies yielded a total of 13 comparisons to be included in the meta-analysis. The type of dentition of the child and the test used to measure TAC were assigned as moderators. A meta-analysis was done of the mean TAC levels, while a meta-regression was formulated using the moderators. All analyses were performed using OpenMetaAnalyst™ meta-analysis software (Brown University, RI, USA). RESULTS: The meta-analysis showed significant increase in TAC in children with dental caries when compared to their caries-free counterparts (P < 0.001). The meta-analysis showed high levels of heterogeneity (I(2)= 99.48). The meta-regression revealed that, while the type of dentition was a significant moderating factor (P = 0.002), the method used to assess the TAC was not (P = 0.053). CONCLUSION: There is a significant increase in TAC in children with dental caries when compared to their caries-free counterparts.