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

RESUMO

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