title: Microbiology of carious lesions.
abstract: Dental caries is a process in which the enamel, and later the dentine, is demineralized by acids produced by bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates. The main indicator bacteria in this process are mutans streptococci and lactobacilli. This article discusses how monitoring of patients' salivary levels of these organisms can help in prevention and treatment of caries in different patient populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Microbiology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: de Soet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Graaff
mesh_terms: D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology*; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification*