Salivary pH, dental caries and Body Mass Index (BMI) in middle school students in Eastern Makassar

Objective: This study aimed to assess the association of salivary pH, dental caries, and body mass index (BMI) in middle school students in Eastern Makassar. Material and
Methods: This study included 60 middle school students from two schools in eastern Makassar. Data were collected by filling out a questionnaire, weight and height measurement, dental examination and saliva collection. Body mass index was calculated by dividing weight and height in kg/m2 , saliva was collected by draining method, and salivary pH was measured with Saliva-Check Buffer (GC Japan). Decay Missing Filled-Teeth (DMF-T) indexes are used to assess dental caries.
Results: This study showed that overweight and obesity are more prevalent in female students than male students. Salivary pH in underweight students and overweight and obese students were lower compared to normal BMI students, while DMFT score in underweight, overweight and obese students was higher than the normal BMI students.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that body mass index (BMI) have a significant association with salivary pH and DMFT score.