Objectives: Although early childhood dental caries (ECC) have the same general etiology as other types of caries, predisposing factors are not well elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the effect of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) activity, body mass index (BMI), dietary habits, and oral hygiene on ECC.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 38 ECC-affected and 41 caries-free children, aged 36 to 72 months. Upon the parents' consent, 3 mL of non-stimulated saliva was collected from the participants to measure the level of sAA activity through spectrophotometry. Additionally, parents/caretakers completed a structured questionnaire about demographic factors, oral hygiene, and consumption of sugar-containing foods. BMI, BMI z-scores, and percentile data were calculated by using an online calculator. The independent variables were dichotomized and tested through chi-square test, followed by a stepwise logistic regression, by using SPSS software ( = 0.05).
Results: The sAA activity was significantly higher in caries-free children ( ≤ 0.001). However, the mean BMI was not significantly different between the two groups (=0.49). Brushing and other measured dietary habits were significantly associated with the development of ECC ( ≤ 0.001). According to the results of the logistic regression, sAA activity was shown to be a predictor for ECC development (: 0.9 (0.95-0.98)).
Conclusion: Children with inherently lower levels of sAA activity were more susceptible to dental caries. Improper nutritional habits and poor oral health care could exacerbate the risk of ECC.
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