title: Salivary bacteria and oral health status in children with disabilities fed through gastrostomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined caries level, amount of calculus, and oral microbial environment in gastrostomy tube (GT)-fed children compared with healthy children and children with disabilities orally fed (PO).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group consisted of 12 GT-fed children and the two control groups consisted of 16 children with disabilities orally fed and 17 healthy children. DMF-T/dmf-t index, calculus index, Mutans Streptococci (MS), Lactobacilli (LB) levels and salivary buffer capacity were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DMF-T/dmf-t index was significantly lower in the tube-fed group. Calculus index was highest in the tube-fed group. MS and LB levels were the lowest in the tube-fed children. Correlation was found between MS and DMF-T/dmf-t.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tube-fed children demonstrated significantly higher calculus levels and less caries, MS, and LB levels then healthy children or children with disabilities eating PO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Hebrew University, Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Ariela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hidas
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Maurit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beeri
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shapira
authors.forename: Doron
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.forename: Moti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moskovitz
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004245:DMF Index; D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000150:complications*; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000150:complications*; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007223:Infant; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology; D009909:Oral Health; D012016:Reference Values; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology*; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification