Background: The association of total salivary antioxidant capacity (TAC) to severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) has been studied in the past. It is not clear if TAC is an indicator of the inflammatory response to the lesion or a marker of the disease.~Aim: This study aimed to measure the salivary TAC levels in children with early childhood caries before and after dental treatment and compare the results to caries free children.~Methodology: Salivary samples were obtained from 20 children in their fifth year of life diagnosed S-ECC and 20 age and gendersex matched controls. Complete dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia was performed for the 20 children with S-ECC, and follow up salivary samples were obtained one week and three months post operatively. The TAC was measured using a commercially available Oxygen Radical Absorbance Antioxidant Assay measurement kit (Zen-Bio ORAC™, AMS Biotechnology, Abington UK).
Salivary samples were obtained from 20 children in their fifth year of life diagnosed S-ECC and 20 age and sex matched controls. Complete dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia was performed for the 20 children with S-ECC, and follow up salivary samples were obtained one week and three months post operatively. The TAC was measured using a commercially available Oxygen Radical Absorbance Antioxidant Assay measurement kit (Zen-Bio ORAC™, AMS Biotechnology, Abington UK).