IS THE ABO AND RH BLOOD GROUP SYSTEM A POTENTIAL RISK FACTOR FOR DEVELOPING DENTAL CARIES AND GINGIVITIS IN LATAKIA CHILDREN DURING THE MIXED DENTITION STAGE

Research on the relationship between blood groups and dental caries has produced conflicting results. This study aimed to investigate the potential association between the ABO and Rh blood group systems and susceptibility to dental caries and gingivitis in children during the mixed dentition stage in Lattakia City. The population of this study was comprised 200 children aged 6 to 10 years. A single laboratory technician analyzed non-fasting venous blood samples to determine blood groups. The Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth Index (DMFT/dmft) was assessed in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The gingival status was evaluated using the Modified Gingival Index (MGI). The Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests were employed for comparisons. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The mean DMFT/dmft score indicated a slightly high level in children with the AB blood group (110.08/106.47) compared to those with the O blood group (90.33/92.23), with no statistically significant differences observed among the ABO or Rh blood groups. The Mann-Whitney U test revealed that the mean MGI scores for the AB blood group were significantly higher than those for the other blood groups. Additionally, the Rh-positive group exhibited statistically higher mean MGI scores than the Rh-negative group (p < 0.05). Our results indicated that, no specific blood group has been identified as a factor that increases the risk of dental caries. However, there may be a potential association between the Rh-positive AB blood group and the development of gingivitis.