Improved ability of biological and previous caries multimarkers to predict caries disease as revealed by multivariate PLS modelling

Abstract

BackgroundDental caries is a chronic disease with plaque bacteria, diet and saliva modifying disease activity. Here we have used the PLS method to evaluate a multiplicity of such biological variables (n = 88) for ability to predict caries in a cross-sectional (baseline caries) and prospective (2-year caries development) setting.MethodsMultivariate PLS modelling was used to associate the many biological variables with caries recorded in thirty 14-year-old children by measuring the numbers of incipient and manifest caries lesions at all surfaces.ResultsA wide but shallow gliding scale of one fifth caries promoting or protecting, and four fifths non-influential, variables occurred. The influential markers behaved in the order of plaque bacteria > diet > saliva, with previously known plaque bacteria/diet markers and a set of new protective diet markers. A differential variable patterning appeared for new versus progressing lesions. The influential biological multimarkers (n = 18) predicted baseline caries better (ROC area 0.96) than five markers (0.92) and a single lactobacilli marker (0.7) with sensitivity/specificity of 1.87, 1.78 and 1.13 at 1/3 of the subjects diagnosed sick, respectively. Moreover, biological multimarkers (n = 18) explained 2-year caries increment slightly better than reported before but predicted it poorly (ROC area 0.76). By contrast, multimarkers based on previous caries predicted alone (ROC area 0.88), or together with biological multimarkers (0.94), increment well with a sensitivity/specificity of 1.74 at 1/3 of the subjects diagnosed sick.ConclusionMultimarkers behave better than single-to-five markers but future multimarker strategies will require systematic searches for improved saliva and plaque bacteria markers.

Association of removable partial denture use with oral and systemic health

“…Most commonly, mutans streptococci (Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus) and/or lactobacilli are targeted since these organisms show a positive correlation with caries. 44 It has been reported that patients with RPDs had significantly higher levels of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli than patients with fixed prostheses. 45 However, individuals with fixed prostheses had greater numbers of natural teeth than those with removable appliances.…”

Streptococcus Mutans Adhesin Biotypes that Match and Predict Individual Caries Development

“…Dental caries, a persistent infectious disease, affects billions of people with large individual differences in numbers of caries lesions and activity ( Selwitz et al, 2007 ; Nordlund et al, 2009 ; Kassebaum et al, 2015 ). At least half of school children and the vast majority of adults worldwide experience accordingly caries, and the economic burden of caries and dental diseases represents about 4.6% of global health expenditures ( Listl et al, 2015 ).…”

Polymerase Chain Reaction for detection of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus in dental plaque of children from Cartagena, Colombia

“…The participants were selected according to the following criteria: children aged between three and five years, residing in the geographical area of the target population of study, officially registered in foster homes of the region, and that parents accepted to participate in the study by signing an informed consent. The study excluded children who presented some type of physical or motor disability that would hinder their following instructions to obtain the samples of dental plaque, as well as children receiving antibiotic treatment within the three months prior to the study 14 .…”