Association of idiomatic salivary and blood lead levels as biomarkers of dental caries in primary dentition

Aim: The purpose of the study was to examine the correlation between individual’s salivary, blood lead levels and dental caries in children of age group 3-6 yrs. Materials and Method: It was a cross sectional study with sample size of 100 children in both study and control group. Samples of unstimulated saliva and blood were collected from all subjects and lead estimation was done by ICP-MS method. Unpaired student-t test was used for statistical analysis, with the level of significance set at 0.05. Results: A highly significant correlation was found between salivary lead level and the presence of dental caries. Also, blood lead level showed a positive correlation with dental caries. Conclusion: The salivary and blood lead levels were found to be higher in subjects with dental caries proving the cariogenic potential of lead. Saliva proved to be a better biomarker than blood in analyzing the lead levels. Clinical significance: Pediatric dentist should be aware of environmental pollutants like lead that can adversely affect general and dental health. There is also scope for future research to identify those mixtures of micro-minerals in food or water supplies that exert a cariogenic effect.