Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To isolate Helicobacter pylori (HP) from the dental plaque of a selected group of children and to compare the oral and salivary findings of patients with those of a healthy control group. METHODS: A total of 70 children aged 5-15 years were included in this study. An intraoral examination was performed for each patient, and dental plaque and saliva specimens were collected for analysis. Oral health conditions, nutritional habits, tooth brushing frequency, saliva pH levels, flow velocity, and buffering capacities were noted. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used for comparison of the DMFT and dft index. The significance level was set at p=0.05. RESULTS: The prevalence of HP in dental plaque was higher in study group than controls (p<0.05). There were no significant differences between groups with respect to DMFT and dft scores, nutritional habits, tooth brushing frequency, saliva pH level or flow velocity (p>0.05). Meanwhile, the buffering capacity of saliva was lower in HP gastritis patients (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: There was a high prevalence of HP in dental plaque; thus, the oral cavity may be an important reservoir for HP. Good oral hygiene could be a positive contributor to the treatment of gastritis.