ABSTRACT

Aims: The study explored children's genetic predisposition to taste perception using the 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) sensitivity test. It also investigated the prevalence of taste phenotypes and their impact on the severity of dental caries, as well as on oral hygiene habits and dietary practices.

Methods: A cohort of 200 children, aged 7 to 10 years, attending dental clinics of the College of Dentistry, Ajman University participated in the study.

Parents of included children then completed questionnaires on their children's oral hygiene and dietary habits. It was followed by their dental examination that assessed caries severity using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) criteria. PROP (propylthiouracil) infused filter paper was utilized to evaluate the taste intensity of the participants. Children were then classified into three taste sensitivity groups (super-tasters, medium, and non-tasters) based on their responses on the general labelled magnitude scale (gLMS). Chi-square tests explored the relationship between taster status, age, gender, and caries presence. ANOVA and post hoc tests examined differences among taste groups and caries severity across ICDAS codes.

Results: More than three-fourths of children fell under the taster’s category which included 55% as super tasters, 22% as medium tasters, and 23% were

non-tasters. Supertasters showed the lowest severity of caries, with over 95% of caries-free children being tasters. In early caries stages (ICDAS 1-2), tasters were more prevalent, while advanced stages (ICDAS 3-6) were dominated by non-tasters, with over 90% scoring ICDAS 5-6. Non-tasters showed more than double the mean dmft/DMFT scores compared to supertasters. Furthermore, non-tasters tend to snack and consume beverages more frequently per week in comparison to tasters. There was no significant correlation between taste predisposition and children's oral hygiene practices.

Conclusion: Super-tasters were the most prevalent phenotype, followed by non-tasters and medium tasters. A strong positive correlation existed between genetic sensitivity levels and caries severity, with non-tasters showing higher incidence and severity compared to tasters. Tasters tended to snack less frequently and preferred less sugary foods compared to non-tasters. However, taste predisposition did not appear to affect oral hygiene practices.

Keywords: PROP; Taste perception; Caries experience; Genetic predisposition