title: Effect of fixed space maintainers and removable appliances on oral microflora in children: An in vivo study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral habits and caries if left untreated may result in crowding and arch length discrepancy in developing dentition. Therefore, appliances are used to maintain the arch length and for proper relationship between dental arches. However, its insertion may cause an increase in bacterial concentration.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate the growth of Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus sp., and Candida albicans in saliva during the first 6 months of orthodontic therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty children in the age group of 6-15 years were selected with regard to indication of orthodontic treatment, and subsequently grouped as patients to be treated with fixed space maintainers or removable appliances. Unstimulated saliva was collected in a sterile container at baseline and at 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month recalls for every selected child. Samples collected were processed for bacterial culture in different culture media at different time intervals.
  
  
  METHODS
  SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) Version 15.0 statistical software was carried for bacterial counts. Chi-square test and t-test were performed to know the effects of each variable and to reveal the statistical significance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bacterial counts of Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus sp., and Candida albicans were found to be statistically significant (P 0≤ 0.001), (P < 0.05), and (P < 0.001), respectively in both the groups at all intervals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At different time intervals, the total numbers of bacterial count of Streptococcus mutans were comparatively higher, followed by Lactobacillus sp. and Candida albicans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Sardar Patel Post Graduate Institute of Dental and Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Ritesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kundu
authors.forename: Abhay M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tripathi
authors.forename: Jagdish Narain
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Jaiswal
authors.forename: Ujjala
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ghoshal
authors.forename: Madhuchanda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palit
authors.forename: Sonali
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khanduja
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000254:growth & development; D002648:Child; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology; D013027:Space Maintenance, Orthodontic / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000254:growth & development