Comparative Evaluation of Salivary pH, Gustatory Function, and Dental Caries among Pubertal, Menstruation, Menopause Women – An Analytical Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Saliva is the most available and noninvasive biofluid of the human body. There are five situations in a women’s life during which hormone fluctuations make them more susceptible to oral health problems during puberty, in monthly menstrual cycle, when using birth control pills, during pregnancy, and menopause. Aim and Objective: The objective is to evaluate salivary pH, gustatory function, dental caries among pubertal, menstruation, and menopause women. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out on 60 individuals and divided into three groups – puberty, menstruation, and menopause, 20 in each group. Salivary pH was measured using salivary pH strips and for gustatory function whole mouth taste test was performed in which the quality identification and intensity of taste solutions were measured. Dental caries was calculated using def and DMFT Index. Results: In the present study, statistically significant difference was found between the groups with respect to salivary pH ( P = 0.007) and DMFT score ( P < 0.001). Regarding correct quality identification, the results were nonsignificant. However, three among pubertal and menopause respectively were unable to identify the sweet taste correctly. Regarding the intensity of taste perception, statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in sweet ( P = 0.002) and bitter ( P = 0.009) and no statistical significance regarding salt and sour tastes. Conclusion: Women are more susceptible to salivary changes because of unique hormonal changes they experience. Hence, in this study, decreased in salivary pH is associated with increased DMFT score.