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Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic, lifelong condition that affects the body’s ability to use the energy found in food. The normal salivary function is an important factor for the maintenance of health, with the positive consequences on the functionality. It neutralizes the oral pH and acts as a buffer. Buffers are resistant to changes in pH. There are three possible buffer systems in saliva - the protein buffer, phosphate buffer, and carbonic acid/bicarbonate buffer. The diabetic patients have a lower stimulated parotid gland flow rate compared to well-controlled patients and patients without diabetes. Thus, the buffering capacity of the saliva of diabetic patients is much lower and leads to many oral complications. Objective: Variation in salivary pH and buffering capacity of saliva in normal and DM patients was compared and analyzed. Materials and Methods: Inclusion criteria include known diabetic type 2 patients of both sexes for at least 3 years and age between 26 and 65 years with a decayed, missing, or filled teeth score of ≥5. About 8–10 mL of unstimulated mixed saliva was obtained from all subjects 2 h after the breakfast. The saliva sample was collected from both the groups, and the salivary pH was estimated within 5 min. Results: The mean salivary pH for normal participants was found to be pH 7.2, whereas the diabetic mellitus patients showed a mean pH of 6.8. The mean buffering capacity of normal subjects is found to be 6.9, whereas the DM patients showed a mean pH of 5.3. Conclusion: Hyperglycemia alters the pH of the oral cavity, leading to dental caries. Therefore, adequate measures should be taken to prevent dental caries at an early stage.

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	JPR Solutions

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