Investigating Possible Effects of Environmental Pollution on Dental Caries Prevalence

Praveen, K. (2014) Investigating Possible Effects of Environmental Pollution on Dental Caries Prevalence. Masters thesis, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Dental caries is one the most rampant diseases in the world. It is major cause of tooth loss and many other oral health problems. Many factors like soft drink conception, smoking, living condition etc. have been shown to have an effect on incidence of tooth decay. An important factor that might contribute to dental caries is air pollution. Since mouth is exposed to air, gases like sulphur dioxide present in automobile exhausts can possibly dissolve in saliva and make is acidic and thus cause tooth decay. In this study we are investigating that possibility. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Personal and life style details of willing experimental subjects were collected using a questionnaire. Their salivary pH was tested using standard non-bleeding pH paper. Frontal photographs of teeth of experimental subjects were taken using a 5 mega pixel camera. These photographs were later graded according to increasing level of dental caries by a qualified dentist. Average salivary pH and average caries level of city population and village population were compared using ANOVA. An in vitro experiment was done on extracted teeth to test the effect of acidic pH on tooth decay. Extracted teeth were kept in solutions of different pH. Weight of the teeth was measured every week. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Average salivary pH of city dwellers was found to be significantly lower than that of village population. Average caries level of village population was found to be significantly lower than that of city population. It was also found that the pH affects tooth decay only when it is 5.5 or below. Putting these points together, we can conclude that, even though the average salivary pH is affected by air pollution, it could add to tooth decay only when the salivary pH goes below the threshold value.

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