engleski

Salivary S. mutans and Lactobacillus spp. in children with fixed orthodontic appliances

Introduction: Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus spp use sugars in their metabolism, produce acid and survive well in an acidic environment. The dominance of one of these two microorganisms is not pathognomonic of cavities, but their joint action will certainly result in the emergence and development of dental caries. The aim of this study was to evaluate coexistence of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus spp. in saliva of children treated with fixed orthodontic appliances. Subjects and Methods: Caries-free subjects scheduled for fixed orthodontic therapy were included in the study (N=23, mean age 14.04±1.52). All subjects received equal braces, brackets, bands and bonding material. Oral hygiene instructions were provided to all subjects. Stimulated saliva samples were taken before placement of the appliance, and every six weeks during 18 weeks of fixed orthodontic therapy. Saliva samples were cultivated on selective microbial agar, for microorganism detection and determination of number of colony forming units, at each time point. Results: Number of S.mutans in saliva were significantly correlated to Lactobacillus spp prior to placement of the appliance as well as during all eighteen weeks of experimental period (Rbaseline=0.605, R6th week=0.648, R12th week=0.446, R18th week=0.424, p<0.05). Conclusion: Intraoral placing of fixed orthodontic appliances does not interfere with coexistence of S. mutans and Lactobacillus spp in saliva, thus allowing their joint action in the emergence of dental caries.

s.mutans; saliva; orthodontic

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