SALIVARY SODIUM, POTASSIUM, AND CHLORIDE LEVELS IN SUBJECTS CLASSIFIED AS TO DENTAL CARIES EXPERIENCE

¹ Research Dentistry Division, School of Aviation Medicine, USAF, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas

Using no exogenous salivary stimuli, saliva samples were collected from 537 males, each of whom had been placed by clinical and radiographic examination into one of 3 restrictive oral status categories ("Carious," "Resistant," or "Restored"). After the completion of analytical procedures, the following results were evident.

1. No significant differences in volume (ml./5 min.) levels were noted between the 3 groups of subjects.

2. The mean potassium levels were not significantly different for the 3 categories.

3. The mean sodium level for the "Resistant" group was significantly lower (P<.05) than the mean sodium values for the other 2 groups. No significant difference was found between the "Carious" and "Restored" categories.

4. The chloride mean value for the "Resistant" group was significantly lower (P0.018) than the mean level for the "Carious" subjects. A similar but even more significant (P0.008) difference was found between the chloride means of the "Resistant" and "Restored" subjects.

5. Although significant differences were found for both the salivary sodium and chloride levels when "Resistant" and "Carious" subjects were compared, no significant differences were noted between the "Carious" and "Restored" groups.

6. The findings of the present study indicate that the predictability of an individual's dental status based upon salivary volume, sodium, potassium, and chloride findings would be, at best, extremely low. Although significant differences were found when the means for the 3 groups of subjects were compared, there was an extensive overlap in values for individuals throughout the 3 groups.