SALIVARY MUTANS STREPTOCOCCI AND DENTAL-CARIES PATTERNS IN PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN

Recent studies have suggested that the identification of caries as dis crete patterns may be valuable in describing and predicting caries exp erience on an individual basis. The purpose of this study was to asses s the association between levels of salivary mutans streptococci and t he prevalence, incidence and distribution of caries patterns in the pr imary dentition. A cohort of pre-school children (n = 146, mean age 3. 8 yr) were examined for dental caries and sampled for salivary mutans streptococci (SMS) at baseline and once annually for 2 yr. Children's tooth surfaces were categorized into four patterns: pit/fissure, maxil lary anterior, posterior proximal, and buccal/lingual smooth surface. Salivary mutans streptococci were enumerated using a tongue blade tech nique, and were categorized as low (0 CFU), moderate (1-50 CFU) and hi gh ( > 50 CFU). At year 2, children with high baseline SMS had the 1) highest prevalence of caries (87%) and the highest dmfs (9.15); 2) hig hest prevalence of each pattern, and 3) greatest number of patterns. A mong children with the pit/fissure pattern, those with high baseline S MS had the greatest pit/fissure dmfs after 2 yr Results show that base line SMS levels were associated with both cross-sectional and longitud inal caries experience, numbers of caries patterns, and the prevalence and severity of those patterns.