Salivary profile and dental status of patients with multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. The MS patients may display biochemical changes in their cerebrospinal fluid, peripheral blood and saliva. Since the salivary profile plays a critical role in maintaining oral health and function, the analysis of saliva in the MS patients would be beneficial to prevent oral diseases, such as dental caries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dental status and salivary profile of the MS patients. The study involved 25 MS patients and 25 healthy controls who were examined with regard to the calcium and phosphorus level, pH and flow rate of saliva as well as the decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) index for permanent first molars. Student's t-test, the χ2 test and the Mann-Whitney test were utilized to compare the study groups. Significantly lower salivary flow rates were observed in the MS patients as compared to the controls. The salivary calcium and phosphorus levels were significantly higher in the case group during the first 6 years of the disease and 6-11 years after the onset of the disease, respectively, in comparison with the controls; however, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of pH. The DMFT index for permanent first molars was higher in the MS patients than in the healthy controls, but not significantly. The number of carious and missing permanent first molars was significantly higher in the MS patients. Multiple sclerosis appears to significantly change the salivary profile and dental status of the patients.