Dental Caries and Salivary Immunoglobulin A in Relation to ABO Blood Type and Rh Factor among Dental Students Aged 20-21 Years Old

Background: (ABO) Blood type has an effect on general health including oral health. Dental caries are the common infectious disease of the mouth. Saliva plays significant roles in oral cavity; for example, salivary immunoglobulin’s play important role in immunity of the body and the mouth. Various studies conducted on the different effects of IgA on oral cavity, especially dental caries, and found controversial results. The aim of the current study is to assess of the prevalence of caries experience among different blood type in relation to salivary IgA. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and nine students in college of dentistry, Baghdad University aged 20 years old were selected; they were divided to four groups regarding to their blood type, Dental experience was diagnosed and recorded according to DMFs Index, this allows recording decayed lesion by severity. Saliva sample pooled for analysis. Results: In the current study the blood type O was more common followed by A and B, whereas the less common was AB type, also the present study found only few students with AB-. Caries experiences (DMFs) found to be statistically significant among different blood types, since DMFs was higher among type AB and lowest among A blood type. Level of salivary IgA was high among blood type O and low among blood type AB. Also its level among blood group with Rh- higher than that with Rh+. Finally, this study found that there is inverse relation between dental caries and salivary IgA. Conclusion: ABO blood type and Rh have an effect on prevalence of caries and level of IgA in saliva.