The Oral Bacterial Microbiome of Interdental Surfaces in Adolescents According to Carious Risk

Abstract

Adolescence is closely associated with a high risk of caries. The identification of specific bacteria in an oral microniche, the interdental space of the molars, according to carious risk can facilitate the prediction of future caries and the anticipation of the progression or stabilization of caries in adolescents. A cross-sectional clinical study according to the bacteriological criteria of interdental healthy adolescents and carious risk factors—low and high—using a real-time polymerase chain reaction technique was conducted. The presence of 26 oral pathogens from the interdental microbiota of 50 adolescents aged 15 to 17 years were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. Bacteria known to be cariogenic (Bifidobacterium dentium, Lactobacillus spp., Rothia dentocariosa, Streptococcus cristatus, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus sobrinus, and Streptococcus wiggsiae) did not present differences in abundance according to carious risk. Periodontal bacteria from the red complex are positively correlated with carious risk. However, only 3 bacteria—S. sobrinus, E corrodens and T. forsythia—presented a significant increase in the highest group. Estimating the risk of caries associated with bacterial factors in interdental sites of molars in adolescents contributes to the better definition of carious risk status, periodicity and intensity of diagnostic, prevention and restorative services.

Caries Increment and Salivary Microbiome during University Life: A Prospective Cohort Study

“…Mutans streptococci are traditionally recognized as the most common cause of dental caries [31]. Several studies also reported that there was no difference in the abundance of these species between caries-active and caries-free groups [7][8][9]32]. Furthermore, Takahashi and Nyvad proposed the "Ecological Plaque Hypothesis," wherein acid-producing bacteria, excluding mutans streptococci, are also considered to lead to an imbalance in mineralization [26].…”

Oral Hygiene in a Sample of Children/Adolescents Living in Family-Homes from the Province of Milan (Italy): A Pilot Study

“…In particular, they were instructed on the necessity of oral hygiene, particularly during adolescence, because their microbiota is composed of cariogenic bacteria and periodontal bacteria, and are subjected to high prevalence of carious lesion [22][23][24][25].…”

Cariogenic Biofilm: Pathology-Related Phenotypes and Targeted Therapy

“…However, subsequent studies confirmed that caries may occur in the absence of S. mutans . While this organism could persist on other surfaces that remained sound, it is confirmed that S. mutans alone could not be used to predict carious risk [ 14 ]. These findings provided support for caries as a consequence of nonspecific microorganisms.…”

“…Matondkar et al, (2020) found that the presence of S. wiggsiae in children’s plaque was significantly correlated with ECC [ 19 ]. Contrary to these studies, Inquimbert et al, (2019) indicated that S. wiggsiae was highly expressed in both caries and caries-free subjects [ 14 ]. Therefore, whether S. wiggsiae can be classified as cariogenic bacteria is still unclear and further research is required.…”