Children with severe early childhood caries: Pilot study examining mutans streptococci genotypic strains after full-mouth caries restorative therapy

Elizabeth A. Palmer, Truman Nielsen, Patricia Peirano, Anna T. Nguyen, Alex Vo, Aivan Nguyen, Stephen Jackson, Tyler Finlayson, Rebecca Sauerwein, Katie Marsh, Issac Edwards, Beth Wilmot, John Engle, John Peterson, Tom Maier, Curtis A. Machida

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: Genotypic strains of mutans streptococci (MS) may vary in important virulence properties and be differentially affected by specific components of full-mouth caries restorative therapy. The purpose of this pilot study was to identify mutans streptococci strains that predominate following caries restorative therapy. Methods: Plaque from 7 children with severe early childhood caries was collected before and following therapy. MS isolates (n=828) were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and arbitrarily primed-PCR (AP-PCR) for assignment within MS strains. Determining the longitudinal changes in MS strain distribution over time within each patient required the isolation of larger numbers of isolates per patient, but from fewer patients. Results: Up to 39 genotypic strains of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus, and 7 genotypic strains of non-MS streptococci were identified by AP-PCR and 16S ribosomal rRNA gene sequencing. The number of MS strains isolated from each patient were 3 to 7 prior to treatment, diminishing to 1 to 2 dominant MS strains in most patients 6 months following therapy. Conclusions: Caries restorative therapy resulted in shifts of specific mutans streptococcus and non-mutans streptococcus strains. The implications are that caries restorative therapy affects the distribution of MS strains, and that well-accepted practices for caries prevention should be more closely examined for efficacy.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)E1-E10
JournalPediatric dentistry
Volume34
Issue number2
StatePublished - Mar 2012

Keywords

  • Cariology
  • Genetics
  • Microbiology

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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