**2.2.1 Aim**

Nursing bottle caries (Fig.6) is a specific form of rampant decay on the buccal surface of the upper anterior primary teeth. Some etiological factors, such as the types of microorganisms, tooth structure, and diet, have been reported, but there is little information about the influence of the salivary flow rate.

Fig. 6. Nursing bottle caries

Very little research has been carried out on the salivary flow rate or salivary clearance in children. Although the average thickness of the salivary film covering teeth and oral mucosa in children is essentially identical with values reported for adults, marked differences were found between children and adults for such parameters as unstimulated and stimulated whole-salivary flow rates, the volume of saliva in the mouth before and after swallowing, and the surface area of the mouth.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the rates of salivary clearance at different locations in the mouths of children and the effect of the spaces in the primary dentitions to determine whether prolonged clearance would occur in sites particularly susceptible to nursing bottle caries.
