PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS OF ORAL CAVITY PROTOZOA (ENTAMOEBA GINGIVALIS & TRICHOMONAS TENAX) IN THE PATIENTS WITH DENTAL CAVITY CARIES IN LORESTAN PROVINCE, IRAN

Background and Aim:Tooth decay (dental cavity caries) is one of the major issues in the field of oral health around the world, which affects 60 to 90% of school children and often adults. This investigation was aimed to evaluate the prevalence of Entamoeba gingivalis and Trichomonas tenax in patients with dental cavity caries from Lorestan province, Western, Iran.Methods:A total of 68 patients with dental cavity caries were included in this study. Saliva and the rotten cavities of the tooth were collected and transferred to parasitology laboratory for microscopic examinations. A questionnaire was provided for some demographic and risk factors such as age, genus, smoking habits, brushing, etc.Results:The results exhibited that E. gingivalis was present in the samples from 6 periodontitis patients (8.8%), while 7 (10.3%) patients were positive for T. tenax. The results also showed that genus (male), use of mouthwash, and teeth brushing were significantly associated to the prevalence of these parasites.Conclusion:The obtained findings demonstrated the considerable prevalence of oral cavity in patients with dental cavity caries; indicating that these parasites have capacity to be involved in the dental cavity caries. However, further studies using standardized experimental designs of epidemiologic investigations are mandatory.

کلیدواژه ها:

Prevalence ، Entamoeba gingivalis ، Trichomonas tenax ، dental cavity caries