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Dental caries as a health risk for visual acuity in relation to salivary transforming growth factor beta-1 among
Noor Adil Ajeel1, Ban Sahib Diab1
1Department of Preventive Dentistry, College of Dentistry, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Baghdad Governorate, Iraq.
Background:
Dental caries and an impairment in visual acuity (VA) may both be caused by a variety of risk factors. Various conditions of the eye can appear as a consequence of overall inflammation and active dental caries.
Aim:
The present study aims to assess dental caries and salivary status by measuring the transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) and flow rate between visually impaired students compared with students with normal vision.
Materials And Methods:
Research was performed employing a cross-sectional comparative study design conducted among representative 653 students aged 8-10 years at primary schools in Al-Diwaniyah governorate using the Snellen E chart for measuring VA status. Partitioning the students according to the degree of VA into normal students with normal VA of 6/9 or better and students with visual impairment of 6/12 or worse was done. Sub-sample of 180 students was recruited randomly from both groups, age and gender-matched participants for salivary analysis, and dental caries assessment measured by decay, missed, filled index, according to the World Health Organization in 2013.
Results:
Out of 653 students, only 70 students suffer from a decrease in VA. Dental caries was more prevalent in those who had a decrease in VA compared with normal groups. For primary teeth decay, missed, filled teeth index (DMFT/dmft), the result was not significant but highly significant for DMFT/dmft. A significant decrease in salivary flow rate and increased salivary TGF-β1 level among visually impaired students was found.
Conclusions:
According to the current research, the study population that has impaired VA, dental health status has greatly deteriorated.
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