Abstract
Background: Nutritional Rickets is a condition produced by an absence of Vitamin D, calcium or phosphate. It clues to relaxing and fading of the bones. Dental expression of children with rickets contains enamel hypoplasia and delayed tooth eruption. This study was conducted in order to assess caries experience (dmfs) and enamel defects among study and control groups, and to evaluate and compare the levels of selected salivary biomarkers between children with nutritional rickets and apparently healthy children. Material and methods: Assessment of caries according to WHO in 1987, and assessment of enamel defects according to enamel defect index EDI of WHO in 1997. In addition a stimulated saliva samples were collected according to Palone et al from 30 children diagnosed with nutritional rickets and 30 control children as control group. Salivary vitamin D, calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphtase were analyzed. Results: Caries experience represented by dmfs was significantly higher among control group compared to study group, while enamel hypoplasia was higher in study group than control group. Salivary inorganic component (Ca, PO4 ALP) revealed obvious variations between study and control group. Salivary vitamin D concentration was lower in study group compared with control group. Conclusion: Based on the results, it can be concluded that nutritional rickets impact on certain salivary biomarkers which can be considered for evaluating the diagnosis and prognosis of caries experience and enamel defects in nutritional rickets children