Prevalence of dental caries in 4- to 5-year-old children partly explained by presence of salivary mutans streptococci

Abstract

The correlation between dental caries and the number of oral mutans group streptococci (ms) present has been shown to be weak. The aim of this investigation was to study associations between caries experience (decayed, missing, and filled surfaces [dmfs]) and the number of ms in stimulated saliva, with emphasis on the level of disease and the confounding effect of regular intake of sweets, the presence of salivary lactobacilli, and oral hygiene. In some 2,700 4to 5-year-old South African children of different ethnic origins, caries was diagnosed on the basis of World Health Organization criteria and saliva samples were analyzed for ms after cultivation on mitis salivarius-bacitracin agar and for lactobacilli by using the Dentocult kit. Oral hygiene was scored on the basis of the Greene and Vermillion simplified debris index, while data on intake of sweets were derived from extensive interviews. Pearson's coefficient of correlation was computed, and multiple regression analysis was performed to correct for confounding factors. The distribution of the children in the eight caries classes was strongly associated with the ms class (P < 0.001), with those in the lower ms classes generally having

Salivary mutans streptococci and caries development in the primary and mixed dentitions of children

“…Due to the ubiquitous nature of mutans streptococci in the mouth, some investigators have considered them as normal oral flora (33)(34)(35). For this reason, others have questioned whether SMS levels can (or should) be used to categorize caries risk (22,(36)(37)(38). The current study shows that even when all subjects may be infected, population-specific methodology (e.g., sampling, plating, counting and grouping techniques) may allow for the identification of children at risk for caries.…”

Salivary mutans streptococci and dental caries patterns in pre‐school children

“…positive predictive value and negative predictive value) (25,26). While most cross-scctional studies show a positive relationship between mutans streptococci levels and caries prevalence (6,7,10), longitudinal studies report conflicting results (8,9,27,28).…”

Relationship of cariogenic bacteria levels with periodontal status and root surface caries in elderly Japanese

“…In addition, epidemiological surveys have found that an increased number of Streptococcus mutans in children is associated with a higher incidence of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT), i.e. caries experiences [3][4][5][6][7] . Several species of bacteria, including S. mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus and lactobacilli, as well as yeast, are considered to be pathogens related to dental caries incidence in elderly individuals, although definitive findings are yet to be reported [8][9][10][11][12] .…”