The predictive power of saliva electrolytes exceeds that of saliva microbiomes on diagnosing early childhood caries. human oral metagenome

The objective of our study was to compare saliva biochemical and microbial biomarkers between caries-active children and healthy ones aged 4-6 years. We aimed to explore the correlation between salivary biochemical indicators and microorganisms and establish a model for diagnosing early childhood caries, providing the theoretical basis of individualized prevention, treatment, and risk assessment for children.