The level of streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli in the dental plaque among rampant, nursing and caries free children

Abstract EN

Background : rampant caries in children is one of the most frustrating and difficult condition to treat.

Nursing caries is characterized by a rampant caries pattern, but it has a unique pattern of dental caries in young children.

This study was conducted in order to estimate the level of streptococcus mutants and lactobacilli in the dental plaque among the rampant, nursing caries and caries free children.

Materials and method: Sixty children in age group 3-10 years old were chosen for this study (20 with nursing caries, 20 with rampant caries and 20 caries free) matching in age and gender, a subsample of 47 children were underwent the bacterial examination.

Clinical examination of teeth to record dmfs, and DMFS was conducted according to WHO 1987, and dental plaque sample was taken from the sound buccal surface of the upper second primary molar, otherwise the sample will be taken from the maxillary first primary molar to have the colony forming units of the caries related microorganisms (Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli).

Results : there was a statistically highly significant difference among rampamt caries, nursing caries and caries free groups in the dental caries (p=000), while a statistically no significant difference in the count of bacteria (p = .592 for the streptococcus mutans and p=.140 for the lactobacilli).

Conclusion : this study supports the fact that the dental caries is a multifactorial disease, and suggests that the bacterial count is not the major cause.