SALIVARY PH LEVELS, BEFORE AND AFTER ORAL BRUSHING IN PATIENTS AGED 3 TO 12 YEARS WHO ATTENDED TO THE DENTAL CLINIC UNIVALLE DURING 2012

Abstract

Tooth brushing is fully accepted as part of everyday life and the habit of good oral hygiene. The dental profession is based on mechanical control of plaque (i.e. daily cleaning with toothbrush and other oral hygiene aids) as the surest way to achieve the benefits of oral hygiene. Tooth brushing prevents caries, gingival and periodontal diseases and facilitates return of salivary neutral pH which retains the oral health throughout life.

We performed a descriptive pilot study in order to determine the pH of the saliva before and after oral brushing in patients aged 3-12 years who were treated in the dental clinic Univalle. It took a group of 50 patients who attended the consultation, were divided into two groups, a first group consisting of 25 children who underwent manual brushing (toothbrush oral toothpaste a specific brand). And a second group was the 25 remaining, which was mechanical brushing (hand piece low speed brush pumice and prophylactic).

Once salivary pH is measured before oral brushing, a pH of 56% (acid) was obtained and 24% of neutral pH in all patients. Once manual brushing was performed it was obtained 34% of neutral pH; with mechanical brushing it reached 30% of neutral pH. In total, 65% of neutral ph, therefore the pre-brushing dental care is essential for successful treatments performed.