Assessment of Vitamin B12 and Its Correlation with Dental Caries and Gingival Diseases in 10- to 14-year-old Children: A Cross-sectional Study

AIM To assess the level of vitamin B12 and correlate it with dental caries [decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth (DMFT) score] and gingival diseases [plaque index (PI) and gingival index (GI)]. DESIGN Healthy children according to the inclusion criteria were selected by the computerized randomization method from a school to assess the vitamin B12 levels using Centaur/ Versace machine. MATERIALS AND METHODS Blood samples were collected to assess vitamin B12 levels using automated analyzer. Oral examination was done by a single calibrated dentist. A thorough oral examination was carried out and the DMFT, PI, and GI scores of all the children were recorded and assessed. Data were analyzed using Karl Pearson's correlation test. RESULTS Vitamin B12 levels were deficient in 64% of the children. In boys, vitamin B12 deficiency was found in about 76.2%, whereas, in girls it was 57.1%, which was not statistically significant. The vitamin B12 deficient children showed a significantly high DMFT scores than the children with normal vitamin B12 levels. The Pearson's correlation was -0.614 for DMFT, PI value -0.663, and GI value of -0.477. The negative correlation stated that there was a reverse relation between these indices and vitamin B12. CONCLUSION In children with systemic vitamin B12 deficiency, there is increased dental caries prevalence and associated gingival problems. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE Hugar SM, Dhariwal NS, Majeed A, Badakar C, Gokhale N, Mistry L. Assessment of Vitamin B12 and Its Correlation with Dental Caries and Gingival Diseases in 10- to 14-year-old Children: A Cross-sectional Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2017;10(2):142-146.