## 7 Caries
Their results demonstrated higher TAC in caries-active children and a positive correlation between the number of teeth with caries and salivary TAC levels, which was consistent with the results obtained in the group of 6-12-year-old children [83]. [PERSON] et al. [85] showed that TAC in the saliva of children with ECC undergoes significant downregulation as a result of treatment of carious cavities. The lack of significant differences between the control group and the samples taken a week and 3 months after the treatment suggests that the reduction in TAC was caused by the removal of inflammation within dental tissues. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l c c c} \hline \hline
**Patients** & **Analyzed parameter** & **Results** & **Source** \\ \hline Study group: & & & \\ - group II (n = 25) people with active caries, & & - \(\uparrow\) TAC in NS and serum of group I vs. control (\(p<0.001\), \(p<0.001\), respectively), & \\ DMFT \(<\) 10, & & - \(\uparrow\) TAC in NS and serum of group II vs. control (\(p<0.001\), \(p<0.001\), respectively), & \\ - group III (n = 25) people with active caries, & & - \(\uparrow\) TAC in NS and serum of group III vs. control (\(p<0.001\), \(p<0.001\), respectively), & \\ DMFT \(>\) 10. & & - \(\uparrow\) TAC in NS and serum of group III vs. control (\(p<0.001\), \(p<0.001\), respectively). & \\ Control group: & & & \\ -25 caries-free people, DMFT = 0. & & & \\ Age of study participants: 25-50 years. & & & \\ \hline Study group: & & & \\ - 30 people with active caries (17 women, & & & \\ 13 men), at the age of 17-50. & & & \\ Control group: & & & \\ - 12 caries-free people (6 women, 6 men), & & & \\ at the age of 15-60. & & & \\ \hline Study group: & & & \\ - 50 people with active caries (25 women, & & & \\ 25 men). & & & \\ Control group: & & & \\ - 50 caries-free people (25 women, 25 men). & & & \\ Age of participants 15-17 years. & & & \\ \hline Study group: & & & \\ - 60 people with active caries (DMFT \(>\) 10), & & & \\ at the age of 25-50. & & & \\ Control group: & & & \\ - 20 caries-free people (DMFT \(=\) 0), at the age of 25–50. & & & \\ - & & & \\ - & & & \\ - 20 caries-free people (DMFT \(=\) 0), at the age of 25–50. & & & \\ \hline Study group: & & & \\ - 204 people with different DMFT & & & \\ (128 women, 76 men), at the age of 19–83 & & - ns \(\uparrow\) AOPP in NS of group II vs. group I & \\ (41.8 \(\pm\) 14.5), including: & & & (\(p>\) 0.05), & \\ - group I (CI \(=\) 0)—without caries & & & \\ (control group). & & & \\ - group II (CI \(=\) 1)—caries within the & & & \\ enamel and dentin. & & & \\ - group II (CI \(=\) 2)—cersentive dentin caries. & & & \\ \hline AOPP—advanced oxidation protein products; CAT—catalase; CI—caries index; DMFT—number of decayed, missing and filled teeth; ECC—early childhood caries; GSH—reduced glutathione; GSSC—glutathione disulfide; MDA—malondialdehydedehyde; ns—nonsignificant; NO—nitric oxide; NS- nonstimulated saliva; OHI—oral hygiene index; PBI—papilla bleeding index; PX—salivary peroxidase; S-ECC—severe early childhood caries; SOD—superoxide dismutase; TAC—total antioxidant capacity; TBARS—thiobarbituric acid reactive substances; UA—uric acid. \(\uparrow\) increase, \(\downarrow\) decrease. & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: _Cont._In the studies of [PERSON] et al. [72], [PERSON] et al. [81] and [PERSON] et al. [84], salivary TAC increased with the age of the child, which suggests the maturation of the salivary antioxidant system, similarly to its immune systems [19]. [PERSON] et al. [72] demonstrated higher concentrations of GSH, oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and TAC in the saliva of children with advanced caries compared to those with noncavitated forms of caries. As in the previously quoted results, the concentrations of the discussed parameters were significantly higher in the saliva of patients with ECC in comparison with caries-free children. The profile of cariogenic bacteria was considerably wider in the saliva of ECC children compared to caries-free ones.