The involvement of oral bacteria in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease has been studied, with Streptococcus mutans, a pathogen of dental caries, detected in cardiovascular lesions at a high frequency. However, no information is available regarding the properties of S. mutans detected in those lesions. Heart valve specimens were collected from 52 patients and atheromatous plaque specimens from 50 patients, all of whom underwent cardiovascular operations, and dental plaque specimens were taken from 41 of those subjects prior to surgery. Furthermore, saliva samples were taken from 73 sets of healthy mothers (n573) and their healthy children (n578). Bacterial DNA was extracted from all specimens, then analysed by PCR with S. mutans-specific and serotype-specific primer sets. The detection rates of S. mutans in the heart valve and atheromatous plaque specimens were 63 and 64 %, respectively. Non-c serotypes were identified with a significantly higher frequency in both cardiovascular and dental plaque samples from the subjects who underwent surgery as compared to serotype c, which was detected in 70-75 % of the samples from the healthy subjects. The serotype distribution in cardiovascular patients was significantly different from that in healthy subjects, suggesting that S. mutans serotype may be related to cardiovascular disease.

Rat androsterone UDP-glucuronosyltransferase gene (UGT2B2) was regionally assigned to chromosome band 14p21.2-p22 by fluorescence in situ hybridization using a biotinylated cDNA (1.8-kb insert) probe. The present mapping is the first report on the precise localization of the rat UGT2B2 on high resolution banded metaphase chromosomes.

We present a case of Sotos syndrome. A 2-year-1-month-old Japanese boy diagnosed with Sotos syndrome was referred to our clinic for an oral examination. His growth from birth to the age of 4 years 11 months was pronounced above the 97th percentile. The primary teeth erupted extremely early, with the lower central incisors appearing at the age of 5 months, and all the primary teeth except the lower lateral incisors erupted by the age of 2 years 1 month. In addition, the lower permanent first molar erupted at the age of 4 years 6 months. However, mean dental age did not advance with chronological age. The tooth morphology appeared to be normal, however, the primary teeth were easily degraded by attrition, suggesting the poor calcification. A radiographic examination showed congenital missing of the lower primary and permanent lateral incisors, second premolars, and upper first premolars. In addition, the roots of the primary molars were extremely long and the ration of root length to crown length shown in panoramic radiographs was high. 97th percentile for age 2). It was recently reported that the syndrome is caused by a mutation in the gene for the nuclear receptor-binding SET domain-containing protein (NSD1) 5). There are few studies regarding oral manifestations associated with Sotos syndrome. Callanan et al. 6) reported a patient with Class 1 malocclusion with lower anterior crowding and severe dental caries in the primary molars. Further, congenital missing was found for all premolars, all third molars, the upper lateral incisors, and the lower left second molar in the permanent dentition. In another study, Inokuchi et al. 7) found enamel hypoplasia in all the primary canines and molars, and congenital missing of the upper first and second premolars, though no dental caries were observed. In the present report, the dental manifestations of a patient with Sotos syndrome are presented.

Background Biofilm coloration can compromise maturation and increase the risk of oral disease in adulthood, though children with colored biofilm do not always demonstrate a poor oral health status. Aim The microbial compositions of colored and white biofilms in children were compared. Design Thirty‐two dental biofilm samples from 16 children (age < 13 years) were analyzed using 16S rRNA pyrosequencing, then the subjects were divided into severe caries and healthy (caries‐free) groups. Correlations between microbiomes and oral health status were also examined. Results Phylogenetic analysis revealed no distinctly different patterns between colored and white biofilms. In the severe caries group, genus Actinomyces, Cardiobacterium, Kingella, Lautropia, and Veillonella, and family Neisseriaceae were detected, though abundance was significantly different between colored and white biofilm specimens, in contrast to the healthy group. In addition, five colored biofilm samples from the severe caries group contained greater than 15% Actinomyces, which led us to consider that genus to be possibly associated with formation of colored biofilm in children. Conclusions Our findings indicate that differences in bacterial composition between colored and white biofilms are higher in individuals with severe caries. Additional research may reveal the significance of colored dental biofilm in children.

Radicular cysts in the primary dentition are rare, with such cysts most commonly occurring in the permanent dentition. Pulpal treatment for teeth affected by dental caries has been suggested as a causative factor of radicular cysts. We report two cases of radicular cysts occurring in the primary dentition after pulpectomy. Marsupialization of the cystic lesion was performed in both cases, resulting in uneventful eruption of the successive permanent tooth. A resin appliance in one case and antibiotic ointment-impregnated gauze only in the other were used to fill and promote healing of the cystic cavity. The results suggest that this approach is effective in inducing complete healing of radicular cysts in the primary dentition and avoiding the formation of residual cysts. Furthermore, use of antibiotic-impregnated gauze appears to offer an easier option than other reported methods in the management of radicular cysts. lesions occur following the development of periodontitis, they tend to be interradicular, rather than apical. Moreover, periapical infections in the primary dentition appear to drain more readily than those in the permanent dentition because the bone structures have yet to be fully formed in early childhood 5). According to some earlier reports, most radicular cysts associated with the primary teeth have occurred following endodontic treatment involving pulpal therapeutic agents, and rapid growth of the cyst has been observed in some cases 5-7). Radicular cysts are often asymptomatic in the early stages, unless acute inflammation is present, and can be detected only by radiographic examination 8). We report two cases of radicular cysts arising in the primary dentition. Less invasive procedure was carried out in both cases, including extraction of the