Urine and saliva iodine levels in patients with dental caries and normal healthy volunteers

The aim of this study was to investigate the iodine concentration in the urine and saliva of patients with dental caries and of healthy volunteers in Erzurum, Turkey. Urine and saliva specimens were obtained from 29 patients, who have dental caries and from 26 healthy volunteers. The iodine concentration in the urine of patient's with dental caries was found to be 7.50 +/- 2.68 mu g/dl, which was lower than the urinary iodine level of healthy persons, which was found to be 12.02 +/- 3.16 mu g/dl (p < 0.0001). Similarly, the saliva iodine level of patients with dental caries was lower than that of healthy volunteers, beeing 4.42 +/- 2.21 mu g/dl, 8.28 +/- 2.78 mu g/dl, respectively (p < 0.0001). There was a positive correlation between urinary iodine level and saliva iodine level in both groups (r = 0.750, p < 0.001; r = 0.519, p < 0.001). There was, however, no significant difference in iodine levels of urine and saliva between males and females for both groups of subjects. A positive correlation between iodine levels in urine and saliva of patients and healthy volunteers was also observed. Our results suggest that iodine concentration in urine and saliva might be an indication for dental cavity, where iodine supplementation could be considered as a way of prophylaxis.