Longitudinal study of dental caries incidence associated with Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus in patients with intellectual disabilities.
BACKGROUND
Mutans streptococci (Streptococcus mutans and S. sobrinus) are considered to be major etiologic agents of dental caries. Using a polymerase chain reaction method, we detected those bacteria from 145 outpatients (6-30 years old) with intellectual disabilities (ID) and their presence was compared with the incidence of dental caries.


METHODS
Plaque samples were collected from all erupted tooth sites in subjects with a sterile toothbrush. A dental examination was performed to determine the number of decayed and filled teeth (DFT score) in permanent dentition using the WHO caries diagnostic criteria. A Mann-Whitney U-test was employed to compare the caries scores between combinations of the bacteria, and with a Wilcoxon rank test used to compare caries scores between the baseline and after 1 year.


RESULTS
Among all subjects, S. mutans and S. sobrinus were possessed by 78.7 and 83.5%, respectively, while 13.1% were positive for S. mutans alone, 17.9% for S. sobrinus alone, and 65.6% for both organisms, with 3.4% were negative for both. The mean DFT score of subjects positive for both S. mutans and S. sobrinus at after 1 year was significantly higher than that of those positive for S. mutans alone (P < 0.01). The increase in caries increment was also significantly greater in subjects with both bacteria detected (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that patients with ID harboring both S. mutans and S. sobrinus have a significantly higher incidence of dental caries than those with S. mutans alone.
Department of Special Care Dentistry, Hiroshima University Hospital, 1-2-3, Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8553, Japan. ykado@hiroshima-u.ac.jp.
Yuki
Y
Oda
Department of Special Care Dentistry, Hiroshima University Hospital, 1-2-3, Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8553, Japan. hayasan88@gmail.com.
Fumiko
F
Hayashi
Department of Special Care Dentistry, Hiroshima University Hospital, 1-2-3, Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8553, Japan. mitsugi@hiroshima-u.ac.jp.
Mitsugi
M
Okada
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000382:microbiology*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016986:Streptococcus sobrinus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D055815:Young Adult
D004269:DNA, Bacterial