Effect of dental restorative materials on total antioxidant capacity and calcium concentration of unstimulated saliva

The Effect of Selected Dental Materials Used in Conservative Dentistry, Endodontics, Surgery, and Orthodontics as Well as during the Periodontal Treatment on the Redox Balance in the Oral Cavity

Oxidative stress (OS) is a redox homeostasis disorder that results in oxidation of cell components and thus disturbs cell metabolism. OS is induced by numerous internal as well as external factors. According to recent studies, dental treatment may also be one of them. The aim of our work was to assess the effect of dental treatment on the redox balance of the oral cavity. We reviewed literature available in PubMed, Medline, and Scopus databases, including the results from 2010 to 2020. Publications were searched according to the keywords: oxidative stress and dental monomers; oxidative stress and amalgam; oxidative stress and periodontitis, oxidative stress and braces, oxidative stress and titanium; oxidative stress and dental implants, oxidative stress and endodontics treatment, oxidative stress and dental treatment; and oxidative stress and dental composite. It was found that dental treatment with the use of composites, amalgams, glass-ionomers, materials for root canal filling/rinsing, orthodontic braces (made of various metal alloys), titanium implants, or whitening agents can disturb oral redox homeostasis by affecting the antioxidant barrier and increasing oxidative damage to salivary proteins, lipids, and DNA. Abnormal saliva secretion/composition was also observed in dental patients in the course of OS. It is suggested that the addition of antioxidants to dental materials or antioxidant therapy applied during dental treatment could protect the patient against harmful effects of OS in the oral cavity.

Carious Lesion Severity Induces Higher Antioxidant System Activity and Consequently Reduces Oxidative Damage in Children's Saliva

Oxidative stress biomarkers can be found at detectable concentrations in saliva. These salivary biomarkers reflect specific oxidation pathways associated with caries and periodontitis. Our study evaluated the influence of dental caries severity (assessed using the ICCMS™ criteria) on the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers in saliva from children. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected from patients (from one to three years old) in a day care center in Birigui, SP, Brazil, two hours after fasting. Children were divided into four groups (n = 30/group), according to caries severity: caries free (group A), early carious lesions (group B), moderate carious lesions (group C), and advanced carious lesions (group D). The following salivary biomarkers were determined: total proteins (TP), measured by the Lowry method; oxidative damage, measured by the TBARS method; total antioxidant capacity (TAC); superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymatic antioxidant activity; and uric acid (UA) non-enzymatic antioxidant activity. Data were analyzed by ANOVA, followed by the Student-Newman-Keuls test, Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients, and multivariable linear regression (p < 0.05). TP, TAC, SOD enzymatic antioxidant activity, and UA non-enzymatic antioxidant activity increased with caries severity, consequently reducing salivary oxidative damage. It was concluded that higher caries severity increases salivary antioxidant system activity, with consequent reduction in salivary oxidative damage.

Evaluation and Comparison of Total Antioxidant Capacity of Saliva Between Patients with Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis and Healthy Subjects

Background & Objectives:

Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis (RAS) is one of the most common chronic ulcerative lesions of the oral mucosa and its development may be associated with oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate salivary Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) in patients with minor RAS.

Materials & Methods:

In this case-control study, 27 patients with minor RAS and 28 age- and sex-matched controls without RAS were enrolled. TAC was measured in unstimulated saliva for patients (during active lesion phase and after healing) and controls by immunologic assay. Data were analyzed by SPSS 18 using paired and unpaired t-tests (P<0.05).

Results:

Salivary TAC levels of patients presented a significant increase from active lesion phase (0.26±0.16) to healing time (0.43±0.41); (P=0.034). There was no significant difference in the level of salivary TAC between patients during active lesion phase and controls (0.24±0.13); (P=0.641).

Conclusion:

Increasing level of salivary TAC may be involved in remission of RAS lesions, suggesting its evaluation in future studies.