Streptococci mutans: método semi-cuantitativo para establecer el rango de riesgo de infección bucal en niños preescolares chilenos / A semi-quantitative method to assess oral infections with streptococci mutans in preschool chilean children

Background: Salivary infection due to Streptococci mutans is considered the main microbiological risk factor for the initiation of dental caries. Aim: To evaluate a semi-quantitative method to assess Streptococci mutans salivary infection and compare it with the existing quantitative method. Patient and methods: Saliva samples were obtained from 650 pre-school children aged 2 to 6 years old using a TYCSB liquid medium for counting Streptococci mutans. Results were compared with quantitative cultures. Results: There was a 99.3 percent linear correlation coefficient between both methods. The correlation coefficients with dental caries prevalence were 97 percent for the semi quantitative method and 90 percent for the quantitative method. Conclusions: The semi-quantitative method to assess oral infection with Streptococci mutans, is accurate enough to be used in population studies and oral infection prevention programs in developing countries

Fluorosis dental: recuento de streptoccus mutans en escolares provenientes de la Primera Región de Chile: estudio longitudinal / Dental fluorosis: a longitudinal quantification of streptococcus mutans in school age children from Mamiña, Chile

Background: High fluorine concentrations in drinking water are associated with a decrease in the amount of salivary S mutants. Taking into account that clinical dental fluorosis can appear with 1.5 ppm of fluorine in the drinking water, fluorine concentration in Mami-a is 2.4 ppm. Aim: To quantify salivary S mutans in school age children from Mami-a, a zone with a high fluorine content in the drinking water, during one year. Material and methods: During 1997 and 1998, dental health was assessed and salivary samples were obtained from 51 children (27 male) aged 10 ñ 2 years to quantify S mutans. Results: Most children studied had more than 105 salivary S mutans colony forming units. No changes in the rates of infection or dental health characteristics were observed during the observation year. Conclusions: High fluorine content in the drinking water did not have an effect on salivary S mutans infection in this population

Recuento de Streptococci mutans en la saliva de mujeres embarazadas de la región metropolitana: estudio transversal / Counting of salivary streptococci mutans in pregnant women of the metropolitan region of Chile

Background: Salivary Streptococci mutans contamination is considered the main microbiological risk factor for the initiation of caries. Aim: To assess the oral health of pregnant women, counting Salivary Streptococci mutants. Patients and methods: One hundred seventy four pregnant women, in the first, second and third trimester of pregnancy, aged 27 ñ 5 years old, consulting at a public primary health center, were studied. Puerperal women that had their delivery two months before, were studied as a control group. Salivary samples were obtained and Streptococci mutans colonies were counted using quantitative and semiquantitative methods. Results: There was a good concordance between both counting methods. No differences in Streptococci mutans counts were observed among the three groups of pregnant women, but the latter as a group had higher counts than puerperal women. Women with more than 5 caries had also higher counts. Conclusions: Semiquantitative Streptococci mutans counts are easy, rapid and non invasive and have a good concordance with quantitative counts in saliva

Prevalencia de caries y de streptococcus mutans en alumnos de primer año Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Chile, 1994 / Prevalence of caries and streptococcus mutans in student from the first year at the school of dentistry, Universidad de Chile, 1994

Considerando que cada dia se utilizan más técnicas para evaluar "riesgo de caries", se utilizaron a través de 2 métodos microbiológicos: cuantitativo y semi-cuantitativo el recuento de colonias (UFC) de S. mutans/ml saliva, en 112 adultos jóvenes (68 mujeres y 44 hombres) estudiantes de Odontología, U. de Chile 1994, cuyo promedio de edad era 18.9 años. El porcentaje de estudiantes considerados como de alto riesgo (= a 1 x 10 elevado a 5 a 1 x 10 elevado a 6) correspondió al 31.2 porciento. En cuanto al número de caries diagnosticadas, tanto clínicas como radiográficas, en los grupos clasificados como de mayor o menor riesgo carioso, los resultados no mostraron una relación directa con el promedio de S muutans