Dental caries experience in relation to salivary findings and molecular identification of S. mutans and S. sobrinus in subjects with Down syndrome

• Published in: Odontology Vol. 99; no. 2; pp. 162 - 167
• Main Authors: de Castilho, Aline Rogéria Freire, Pardi, Vanessa, Pereira, Cássio Vicente
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Springer Japan 01.07.2011; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Bacterial Load; Body fluids; Buffers; Child; Child, Preschool; Dental caries; Dental Caries - microbiology; Dental Restoration, Permanent - statistics & numerical data; Dentistry; DMF Index; Down syndrome; Down Syndrome - complications; Down Syndrome - microbiology; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Infant; Medicine; Middle Aged; Odontology; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Original Article; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Saliva; Saliva - microbiology; Saliva - secretion; Secretory Rate - physiology; Streptococcus - classification; Streptococcus infections; Streptococcus mutans; Streptococcus mutans - classification; Streptococcus sobrinus; Streptococcus sobrinus - classification; Tooth Extraction - statistics & numerical data; Tooth Loss - classification; Young Adult; Dental caries; Saliva; Down syndrome
• ISSN: 1618-1247; 1618-1255; 1618-1255
• DOI: 10.1007/s10266-011-0010-9

This study investigated the association between clinical and salivary or molecular parameters in Down syndrome subjects. Sixty individuals (1- to 48-year old) were clinically examined using DMFT/DMFS. Stimulated saliva was collected; salivary flow was calculated (mL/min), buffering capacity was measured using a standard pH tape. In addition, 25 μL of saliva was diluted using 10-fold-dilution method and then placed on Mitis-Salivarius-Bacitracin agar to count colony forming units (CFU/mL) of mutans streptococci. Polymerase chain reaction analysis identified species. Caries indexes were 0.65–13.5 (DMFT) and 0.65–26.0 (DMFS) according to groups. Ninety-four percent of subjects had low flow rate (0.7–1.0 mL/min) and 44% had low buffering capacity (pH < 4). Besides, 60% had more than 1 × 10 6 CFU/mL, 60% had S. mutans , and 41.4% had S. sobrinus . Caries indexes did not significantly correlate with flow rate, buffering capacity, CFU/mL by Pearson’s correlation ( p  > 0.05), and showed no significant association with prevalence of species by Chi-square ( p  > 0.05). There is no association between clinical picture and salivary or molecular parameters in Down syndrome subjects.