The relationship between the salivary buffer capacity test (CAT21 Buf Test) results and caries status in Mongolian preschool children

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between results of a salivary buffer test (CAT21 Buf Test) and caries status in 507 preschool children, who were 4-6 years old in Ulaanbaatar City, Mongolia. The prevalence of caries in the preschool children was 96.1%, and the mean deft and d teeth were 8.1 and 7.2, respectively. The mean CAT21 Buf Test score was 53.3% for low risk (high buffer capacity) and 46.7% for high risk (low buffer capacity). When salivary buffer score was divided into two groups (high risk, low risk), mean deft differed a significantly between the two groups (ANOVA P < 0.001). The high risk group had a mean deft higher than that of the low risk group. These results suggest that the CAT21 Buf Test is useful for clinical application in children. Furthermore, when the CAT21 Buf Test score was higher, a higher correlation was shown with caries status.