Discriminant ability for caries risk of modified colorimetric tests

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Oral Microbiology
• Diagnostic Accuracy

Background:

• Dental caries remains a significant public health issue in children.
• Accurate prediction of caries risk is crucial for timely intervention.
• Existing diagnostic methods for caries risk assessment vary in effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the predictive value of baseline caries status and salivary microbial levels for future caries risk in children.
• To evaluate the efficacy of colorimetric tests, including the Alban test and its modifications, in predicting caries development.
• To compare the discriminative abilities of various salivary diagnostic tests against established caries indicators.

Main Methods:

• A two-year longitudinal study involving 95 children aged 6-7 years.
• Dental caries assessment at baseline and regular six-month intervals.
• Salivary analysis including mutans streptococci and lactobacilli counts (Dentocult SM® and Dentocult LB®) and seven colorimetric tests using different substrates.

Main Results:

• Caries index, lactobacillus counts, and colorimetric tests demonstrated significant but limited discriminant abilities for predicting caries risk.
• Increasing values in most predictor variables, including baseline caries history and salivary test results (except Dentocult SM®), were associated with higher caries risk proportions.
• The Mantel Haenszel test was used to analyze the association between predictor variables and caries risk.

Conclusions:

• Both colorimetric test results and baseline caries history exhibited comparable predictive values for assessing caries risk in children.
• Salivary microbial counts and certain colorimetric tests can serve as valuable adjuncts in predicting future dental caries development.