Comparative Analysis of the Status of Dental Caries and Selected Salivary Electrolytes in Children with Autism

AIM: Autism has been defined as a neurological developmental disability. Children with autism have a higher risk of developing dental caries, due to various factors. The study focuses to compare the dental caries status with respect to the variation in selected salivary constituents [calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and urea] in autistic children and healthy children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hundred children participated in the study. The study group included 50 children who were prediagnosed with autism from various autistic institutions across Bengaluru. The control group comprised of 50 healthy children who visited the Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry for a routine check-up. Assessment of salivary constituents was done using salivary kits and dental caries status was recorded. Descriptive statistics was implemented to evaluate the mean and standard deviation of the study and control groups. Normality of the data was assessed using Shapiro Wilkinson test. The difference in results between the groups was calculated using the independent t-test. RESULTS: A significant decrease was observed in the concentration levels of calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, urea and a significant increase was observed in the concentration level of magnesium in the study group consisting of autistic children when compared to the control group consisting of healthy children. DMFT/dmft scores were seen to be higher in autistic children when compared to healthy children. CONCLUSION: In this study, children with autism were seen to have a higher susceptibility to developing dental caries when compared to healthy children from the same age-group. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The variations in the electrolytic salivary concentrations of calcium, sodium, potassium, chloride, phosphorus, and urea in autistic children could be stated as one of causative factors for the increased DMFT/dmft scores in them when compared to the control group consisting of healthy children. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Babu NSV, Roy A. Comparative Analysis of the Status of Dental Caries and Selected Salivary Electrolytes in Children with Autism. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(S-2):S242-S246.