Predicting dental caries increment using salivary biomarkers in a remote Indigenous Australian child population

BMC Oral Health

Table 4 Multivariable analysis with caries increment at 2 years as the outcome variable and salivary characteristics as explanatory variables

Variable	Incipient caries (ICDAS 1 to 2)			Advanced caries (ICDAS 3 to 6)
	B (SE)	IRR (95%CI)	p	B (SE)	IRR (95%CI)	p
Sex
Male	0.12 (0.20)	1.13 (0.75–1.68)	0.56	0.23 (0.25)	1.26 (0.77–2.08)	0.36
Female	0^a			0^a
Comparison versus experimental group
Experimental group	− 0.29 (0.20)	0.75 (0.51–1.12)	0.16	0.35 (0.25)	1.43 (0.89–2.31)	0.15
Comparison group	0^a			0^a
Baseline caries status	− 0.007 (0.01)	0.99(0.97–1.01)	0.54	− 0.007 (0.01)	0.99 (0.97–1.02)	0.62
Salivary pH at baseline	− 0.07 (0.23)	0.93 (0.59–1.46)	0.76	− 0.044 (0.25)	0.96 (0.58–1.57)	0.86
Salivary flowrate per minute at baseline	− 0.04 (0.20)	0.96 (0.65–1.42)	0.85	− 0.870 (0.27)	0.42 (0.25–0.71)	0.001
Total buffering capacity at baseline	− 0.04 (0.05)	0.96 (0.87–1.07)	0.45	0.005 (0.07)	1.01 (0.88–1.14)	0.94
Salivary MS levels at baseline
≥ 10⁵ CFU/ml saliva	0.48 (0.22)	1.61 (1.04–2.50)	0.03	0.79 (0.29)	2.21 (1.24–3.92)	0.007
< 10⁵ CFU/ml saliva	0^a			0^a
Salivary LB levels at baseline
≥ 10⁵ CFU/ml saliva	0.34(0.21)	1.40 (0.93–2.11)	0.11	0.453 (0.25)	1.57 (0.96–2.57)	0.07
< 10⁵ CFU/ml saliva	0^a			0^a
Salivary yeast counts
Moderate or heavy	0.02 (0.25)	1.02 (0.62–1.68)	0.94	− 0.351 (0.33)	0.70 (0.37–1.34)	0.28
None or light	0^a			0^a

ISSN: 1472-6831