Dynamics of Saliva Ph Change in Children Following Intake of Some Homeopathic Medications

Introduction: Many studies have shown that frequent use of conventional sugar-containing medications increases the risk for children`s oral health because of the simple carbohydrates and the low endogenious pH of these medicines. Nowadays, many parents choose homeopathy over conventional medicine for treatment and prophylaxis of their children, considering it as natural, effective and without side effects. However, its involvement as a risk factor for oral health still remains an unexplored area. Material and Methods: The study includes 25 volunteer children. An in vitro saliva test with colored strips was used for four consecutive weeks and after intake of three homeopathic medications. The following entries were registered: baseline value, 15th, 30th and 60th minute following the intake of the respective homeopathic doses. During the first week, the study was carried out without intake of any homeopathic medicine. The data was subjected to statistical analysis. Results: There was a drop in salivary pH following intake of all homeopathic medications in all studied subjects. The pH reduction was most significant at 15th minute, and the average drop for the three homeopathic medications was - 0.85, 1.05, 0.96, respectively. On the 30th minute, the mean pH drop remained the highest for the second drug and on the 60th ? for the first and second. Conclusion: There was a significant reduction in saliva pH by all studied patients after administration of each medicine. Many of the cases showed a drop below the critical value of 5.5. The values remained lower than the baseline even an hour following the intake.