ABSTRACT
To evaluate the effect of maternal xylitol consumption on children's salivary mutans streptococci [MS] level, caries activity, and plaque accumulation in contrast with maternal fluoride varnish in a group of mother-child pairs. In this randomized controlled trial, the study subjects were 60 mother-child pairs recruited from the pediatric dentistry clinic and the hospital well baby clinic at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The sample was recruited on the basis of maternal high salivary MS levels, and a child aged 10-36 months. The subjects were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Mothers in the experimental group chewed xylitol gum, 1.8 gram [66% xylitol by weight], 3 times/day for 3 months. Mothers in the control group received fluoride varnish. Both groups received oral hygiene instructions, dietary counseling, and restorative treatment. Children were examined after 6, 12, and 24 months from the initiation of the study to evaluate salivary MS levels, caries, and plaque accumulation. There was an increase in MS levels in the experimental and control children at 24 months, which was non-significant in the experimental group, and significantly higher in the control group when compared with the baseline [p=0.008]. The decayed, missing, filled scores of the children in the experimental group showed no change after 24 months, contrary to the controls that showed a significant increase [p=0.001]. Plaque scores revealed no differences over time or between the 2 groups. Compared with fluoride varnish, maternal xylitol consumption provided preventive outcomes on salivary MS and caries levels in children
ABSTRACT
Saliva and serum lysozyme, immunoglobulin and total protein levels were studied in twenty patients with cancer of the head or neck before, during and after radiotherapy and compared with those of a group of non-irradiated non cancer control patients. The mean value of salivary lysozyme and total protein concentration were significantly higher in cancer patients before radiotherapy when compared to control group. During radiotherapy, the concentration of all protein components assayed increased while the saliva itself decreased by xerostomia. There was no significant difference between the mean serum lysozyme levels of the cancer and control groups. The mean serum immunoglobulin concentrations in the cancer patients before radiotherapy were significantly higher than those in the control group. During radiotherapy there was a decrease in the mean serum total protein and immunoglobulin levels which returned back near to the pretreatment values after stopping the therapy