Indian Journal of Contemporary Dentistry
Open Access
  • Year: 2013
  • Volume: 1
  • Issue: 1

Association of Salivary Microbial Count and Caries Experience in Pre-school Children of Lucknow with Early Childhood Caries (ECC) and respective Mothers - A Case Control Study.

  • Author:
  • Kunal Jha1, Sabyasachi Saha2, GV Jagannath3, Sonali Saha4, Shafaat Mohd5, Ridhi Narang6
  • Total Page Count: 5
  • Page Number: 39 to 43

1Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Guru Nanak Institute of Dental and Medical Sciences, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

2Prof and Head, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sardar Patel Post Graduate Institute of Dental and Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

3Reader, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sardar Patel Post Graduate Institute of Dental and Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

4Senior Lecturer, Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Sardar Patel Post Graduate Institute of Dental and Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

5Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sardar Patel Post Graduate Institute of Dental and Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

6Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Surendera Dental College and Research Institute, Sri Ganganagar-335001, Rajasthan, India

Online published on 26 February, 2013.

Abstract

To assess salivary levels of cariogenic bacteria namely Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus as well as caries experience in mothers (Group IM) and children with ECC (Group IC) in comparison to caries free children (Group IIC) and their corresponding mothers (Group IIM).

Sixty pre-school children (3 - 5 years) and their mothers were included and matching was done. The study group consisted of 30 children with ECC and a control group comprising of 30 caries free children. Children together with their mothers were examined for their caries experience and microbiological assessment of their saliva was carried out.

Statistical analysis was done using S.P.S.S version 15.0 software. Statistical tests

used were Chi Square and t-test to determine the strength of association between the variables.

Streptococcus mutans was significantly higher in children of ECC (Group IC) than caries free children (Group IIC) (p<0.001). Lactobacillus acidophilus was significantly higher in group IC and group IM than caries free children (Group IIC) and their corresponding mothers (Group IIM). There was no significant difference in Streptococcus mutans count in Groups IM and IIM.

Significant association was observed in the proportion of children in the ECC group and their mothers with respect to levels of Streptococcus mutans indicating vertical transmission.

Keywords

Early childhood caries (ECC), Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Saliva