Identification, Quantification and Correlation of Hydrogen Peroxide Present in Saliva to Early Childhood Caries: A...

The main objective of the present study was to estimate the production of hydrogen peroxide present in saliva and correlate it to early childhood caries using high-performance liquid chromatography [HPLC] method.

The study was conducted on children aged 3-6 years with a sample size of 20 who had decayed, missing, or filled teeth in accordance to WHO pro forma and were divided into two groups: Study group: Caries active [CA][n = 10] and Control group caries free [CF] [n = 10]. The whole saliva was collected into the vials with a buffer solution and was stored in cold storage. HPLC was done to estimate, detect, and correlate the amount of production of H₂O₂ in CA and CF groups. To compare age and gender distribution among two groups, Independent student "t" test was used. To compare the mean production of H₂O₂ levels between two study groups with a significance of p > 0.05 was done using Mann-Whitney U test. Spearman's correlation was done between caries and H₂O₂.

Comparison of mean H₂O₂ levels [in ppm] between groups was statistically significant at p = 0.03, which showed as age increases H₂O₂ production also increases. Age-wise estimation of H₂O₂ obtained a statistically significant result [p = 0.04]. However, gender-wise comparison of mean H₂O₂ levels [in ppm] in both the groups showed no difference.

Findings in our study strongly suggested that H₂O₂ levels are more in children without any caries experience. H₂O₂ production is the same among males and females but according to age, H₂O₂ production increases as the child grows with age.

Thimmegowda U, Belagatta V, Krishnamurthy NH, et al. Identification, Quantification and Correlation of Hydrogen Peroxide Present in Saliva to Early Childhood Caries: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(S-2):S140-S146.