title: [Dental caries in young adults regarding saliva's microbiological and physical-chemical characteristics].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Determining the relationship between saliva's physicochemical properties, cariogenic microorganism count, facultative anaerobic and gram-negative bacteria based on caries' experience in young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stimulated whole saliva was collected from 120 students aged 17 to 34 years old for analysing salivary flow rate, pH, calcium and phosphate ion concentration, lactic acid, cariogenic microorganism count and facultative and gram-negative bacteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Salivary flow rate was included in the biological reference interval but was not found to be associated with caries; the same thing happened regarding lactic acid. A direct relationship was found between calcium and phosphate concentration and dental cavities. Streptococcus mutans was associated with white spot lesion whereas Lactobacillus spp., facultative anaerobic and gram-negative bacteria were associated with advanced cavities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Saliva's physicochemical and microbiological characteristics in the young adult group evaluated here were differentially related to caries in different degrees of progress.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
authors.forename: María C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Martínez-Pabón
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
authors.forename: Sandra M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Morales-Uchima
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
authors.forename: Cecilia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Martínez-Delgado
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers