Caries-risk assessment with a chairside optical spectroscopic sensor by monitoring bacterial-mediated acidogenic-profile of saliva in children.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to evaluate the ability of an optical spectroscopic sensor (OSS) to monitor bacterial-mediated acidogenic-profile of saliva resulting from bacteria-sucrose interaction.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
Stage-1, characterization experiments were conducted to standardize the OSS. Stage-2 clinical experiments were carried out on stimulated saliva samples from 70 children of age-group 1-12 years. The bacterial-mediated acidogenic-profile of saliva mixed with sucrose was monitored using the OSS for 180 minutes.


RESULTS
The clinical patients were categorized based on the dmfs score as caries-active, caries-inactive and caries-free. The bacterial-mediated acidogenic-profile measured in terms of t1/2 monitored using the OSS was significantly different between the caries-free and caries-active (P<0.05); and caries-free and caries-inactive groups (P<0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
The significant correlation of the acidogenic-profile determined using the OSS and the caries-status highlighted the OSS as a sensitive and rapid chairside tool for the quantification of the acidogenic-profile of saliva that could help in monitoring the caries-risk in children.
['Shrestha|Annie|A|', 'Mohamed-Tahir|Ma|M|', 'Hegde|Jayshree|J|', 'Azarpazhooh|Amir|A|', 'Kishen|Anil|A|']
Caries-risk acidogenic-profile saliva optical sensor