The dental health and caries-related microflora in children with craniosynostosis.
OBJECTIVE
To compare levels of dental caries, bacterial dental plaque, gingivitis, enamel defects, and caries-related microflora in children with and without craniosynostosis.


METHODS
Fifty-seven children with craniosynostosis and their matched controls.


METHODS
The decayed, missing, and filled teeth and surfaces in both the deciduous (dmfs and dmft) and the permanent dentition (DMFS and DMFT). The plaque and gingivitis scores and developmental enamel defects were also recorded. The caries-related microflora was sampled using an alginate swab and the prevalence of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus and Candida species were recorded.


RESULTS
The dmfs (p <.02) and dmft (p <.01) were significantly greater in the control children. The plaque score for the deciduous dentition only (p <.02) and also the gingivitis score for the permanent teeth only (p <.008) in the craniosynostosis group were significantly greater. The total aerobic bacterial count (p <.004), anaerobic count (p <.002), and Candida count (p <.05) were significantly greater in the control group. The proportion of S. mutans both as a percentage of the total anaerobic count (p <.04) and the total streptococcal count (p <.05) was significantly greater in the control group.
Mustafa
D
D
Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Eastman Dental Institute for Oral Health Care Sciences, University College London, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8LD, England.
Lucas
V S
VS
Junod
P
P
Evans
R
R
Mason
C
C
Roberts
G J
GJ
D000168:Acrocephalosyndactylia / Q000150:complications; D000293:Adolescent; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000254:growth & development; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000254:growth & development; D002175:Candida / Q000254:growth & development; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003394:Craniofacial Dysostosis / Q000150:complications; D003398:Craniosynostoses / Q000150:complications*; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000002:abnormalities; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005260:Female; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D010512:Periodontal Index; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000254:growth & development; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous