Salivary Ph Variations Across Levels of Oral Hygiene and Dental Caries in High-Andean Schoolchildren

Calcina-Asillo T.P.; Mamani-Cori V.; Quilca-Soto Y.; Alavarez-Huayhua L.M.; Luque-Merma E. · Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies (2026) · DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-24262-4_33

Resumen

Dental caries remains one of the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide, affecting over half a billion children and significantly compromising their oral health and quality of life. In high-altitude Andean regions, limited access to preventive care may exacerbate this problem. Saliva, due to its buffering capacity and pH stability, plays a crucial role in maintaining oral homeostasis. The present study aimed to compare salivary pH values among high-altitude schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years according to their oral hygiene condition and the severity of dental caries. An observational, analytical, and cross-sectional study was conducted with 180 children attending public schools in the Puno region, Peru. Caries severity was assessed using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS), oral hygiene through the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S), and salivary pH with a calibrated digital pH meter. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kruskal–Wallis test (α = 0.05). Mean salivary pH values ranged from 6.835 to 6.932 according to oral hygiene level, and from 6.842 to 6.933 according to caries severity, showing no statistically significant differences (p = 0.818 and p = 0.077, respectively). In conclusion, salivary pH was not significantly associated with oral hygiene status or caries severity, although a trend toward lower values was observed in children with poor hygiene and more advanced lesions. These findings underscore the multifactorial nature of caries and suggest that salivary pH may serve as a complementary, but not definitive, biomarker of caries risk in high-altitude school populations. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional del Altiplano