Antioxidant Properties of Oral Fluid, Clinical Assessment of the Dental Status of Patients Depending on Age and the Presence of the Dentition Defects with a View to Replacing them
Authors: Barabash Oleh , Voronych-Semchenko Nataliia 
Published: February 2025

It is evident that the violation of the oral fluid redox balance constitutes a very important element in the progression of various dental diseases, including caries, gingivitis, and periodontitis; as well as in the recovery processes following dental interventions.
Aim of the study is to evaluate the antioxidant properties of the oral fluid in patients, taking into account age and depending on the condition of the dentition and replacement of their defects with various types of dental structures.
Materials and methods. A total of 103 patients, ranging in age from 18 to 89 years, were included into the study. The groups were divided according to the following dental status: preservation of the integrity of the dentition (n=25); partial loss of teeth without replacement of the defect (n=18), and under the following conditions of replacement of the defect: with bridge-like prostheses (n=22) and partial removable plate dentures (n=17); complete loss of teeth without replacement of the dentition defects (n=8) and under the following conditions of replacement of the defect with complete removable plate dentures (n=13). The formation of age-based groups was performed according to the following categories: young age (18–24 years, n=25), young-adult (25–44 years, n=21), middle age (45–59 years, n=22), elderly (60–74 years, n=19) and senile (75–89 years, n=16).
Results. A number of significant changes in antioxidant processes were identified in patients with partial and complete tooth loss, as well as in cases involving the replacement of dentition defects. The lowest level of antioxidant protection in oral fluid was observed in patients with the complete tooth loss: suppression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity at 61.06% (p<0.001), glutathione peroxidase (GPR) – at 76.60% (p<0.01) and glutathione reductase (GR) – at 54.29% (p<0.05), compared to values ​​in subjects with intact dentition. The study revealed a significant decline in the antioxidant properties of the oral fluid among individuals aged 45-59 years: SOD and GR activity was found to be suppressed at 36.06-52.27% (p<0.05) compared to young and young-adult age, GPR – at 42.77% (р<0,05) only in comparison to the values ​​of young age. In the senile age, the activity of antioxidant enzymes is observed to be 61.11-81.81% (р<0.05) lower than in the young age, and 33.33-61.90% (р<0.05) lower compared to the middle age. The depletion of antioxidant potential may be due to age-related changes in physiological processes (more pronounced in elderly and senile individuals). Additionally, the activation of protein and lipid peroxidation may contribute to this depletion, particularly in middle-aged subjects in response to changes in dental status.
 Conclusions. The decline in oral fluid antioxidant protection is most pronounced in patients of advanced age and in those with total tooth loss, which is not significantly dependent on the type of defect replacement. Such data correlate with deterioration of oral hygiene, increased intensity of caries and inflammatory periodontal diseases. The results of the study emphasize the necessity for a comprehensive approach to the prevention and treatment of dental diseases, taking into account age characteristics and the condition of the dentition in order to maintain an optimal pro/antioxidant balance in the oral fluid.