Salivary mutans streptococci and caries development in the primary and mixed dentitions of children.
OBJECTIVE
For more than 25 years, both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of dental caries have focused on the role of salivary mutans streptococci (SMS) as a predictor of caries risk. This study examined the relationship between SMS and longitudinal caries development in the primary and mixed dentitions.


METHODS
Eighty-five children, initial mean age 3.8 years, were examined for dental caries at baseline and once annually for 6 years. Children's SMS were sampled with a tongue blade, which was impressed onto plates containing a medium selective for SMS. After incubation, colony forming units of SMS were determined semi-quantitatively and categorized as low, moderate or high.


RESULTS
Children classified as high caries risk at baseline had significantly greater (P<0.05) dmfs scores for all teeth, and in the primary molars, than children classified as moderate or low caries risk at every age but 9 (P<0.10). Children classified as high risk at age 3 had the greatest DMFS increment through age 8. Based on annual examinations, there was a trend towards increasing mean dmfs/DMFS scores among children classified as high risk in every year.


CONCLUSIONS
The current study is among the first to report on the ability of annual measurements of SMS to identify long-term caries risk in both the primary and the mixed dentitions. Despite limitations in predicting caries risk using microbiological methods, this longitudinal study supports the overall benefits of this type of testing.
Thibodeau
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Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, Farmington 06030-3910, USA. thibodeau@nso.uchc.edu
O'Sullivan
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D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D003732:Dental Caries Activity Tests; D003818:Dentition, Mixed; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous