title: Aciduric microbiota and mutans streptococci in severe and recurrent severe early childhood caries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Severe early childhood caries (ECC) results from bacterial acid production in an acidic environment. The purpose of this study was to determine Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, and acid-tolerant counts in severe early childhood caries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-  to 6-year-olds with severe-ECC (N=77) or who were caries-free (N=40) were examined. Plaque samples from teeth and the tongue were cultured anaerobically on blood, acid, and S. mutans selective agars. Severe-ECC children were monitored post-treatment for recurrent caries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Severe-ECC  and caries-free children were balanced by household income and education level. Carious lesions were observed in 75% maxillary incisors and >80% molars in severe-ECC. At baseline, S. mutans, and S. sobrinus counts and proportions of S mutans were higher in severe-ECC than caries-free children.  Acid and blood counts were elevated only in anterior samples of severe-ECC children. Baseline counts of S. sobrinus, but not S. mutans, were higher in children with recurrent compared with no recurrent caries. S. mutans counts were lower following treatment than pretreatment, particularly  for children without caries recurrence. Other counts did not differ between before and after therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Severe and recurrent early childhood caries was better explained by mutans streptococci than the aciduric microbiota. Streptococcus mutans did not predict children with  recurrent caries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dahlan
authors.forename: Eleftheria
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papadopolou
authors.forename: Cheen Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Loo
authors.forename: Nooruddin S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Pradhan
authors.forename: Shulin C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jennifer M J
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mathney
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bravoco
authors.forename: Ralph L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.forename: Anne C R
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Tanner
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D054892:Metagenome; D012008:Recurrence; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000143:Acids