Oral Colonization of Streptococcus mutans in Six-month-old Predentate Infants

Abstract

We hypothesize that S. mutans colonization occurs more frequently in pre-term children due to their relative immaturity. In this study of 172 predentate, six-month-old infants, we found that 50% of pre-term and 60% of full-term children harbored S. mutans. The colonization was confirmed by repeat sampling. Although there were minor differences, factors associated with S. mutans infection in pre-term and full-term infants were generally similar. In both groups, increased frequency of sugar was ranked the most important factor (p < 0.001), followed by breast-feeding (p < 0.001), and habits which allowed saliva transfer from mother to infant (p < 0.01). By contrast, non-colonization of S. mutans was associated with multiple courses of antibiotics (p < 0.001). Compared with pre-term children, there were higher percentages of full-term who had night feedings and consumed sugar during sleep times. Mothers with infected infants had S. mutans levels > 5 x 105 CFU/mL saliva (p < 0.001), poorer oral hygiene, more periodontal disease, and lower socio-economic status (p < 0.02) and snacked frequently (p < 0.001), compared with mothers with non-infected infants.

Keywords

Streptococcus mutans pre-term full-term predentate early childhood caries

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Berkowitz RJ , Jordan HV , White G. (1975). The early establishment of Streptococcus mutans in the mouths of infants. Arch Oral Biol 20:171-174.

Berkowitz RJ , Turner J. , Green P. (1981). Maternal salivary levels of Streptococcus mutans and primary oral infection in infants. Arch Oral Biol 26 :147-149.

Caufield PW , Cutter GR , Dasanayake AP (1993). Initial acquisition of mutans streptococci by infants: evidence for a discrete window of infectivity. J Dent Res 72:37-45.

De la Higuera A. , Liebana J. , Gutierrez J. , Garcia-Mendoza A. , Castillo A. (1995). Evaluation of the automicrobic system for the identification of Streptococcus mutans. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 14:1102-1105.

Edwardsson D. , Mejare B. (1978). Streptococcus milleri and Streptococcus mutans in the mouths of infants before and after tooth eruption. Arch Oral Biol 23:811-814.

Green JC , Vermillion JR (1960). Oral hygiene index: a method for classifying oral hygiene status. JAm Dent Assoc 61:172-179.

Kohler B. , Andreen I. , Jonsson B. (1988). The earlier the colonization by mutans streptococci the higher the caries prevalence at 4 years of age. Oral Microbiol Immunol 3:14-17.

Lai PY , Seow WK , Rogers YI , Tudehope Dl (1997). Enamel hypoplasia and dental caries in very low birthweight children: a longitudinal, case controlled study. Pediatr Dent 19:42-49.

Li Y. , Caufield PW (1995). The fidelity of initial acquisition of mutans streptococci by infants from their mothers. J Dent Res 74:681-685.

10.

Milgrom P. , Riedy CA , Weinstein P. , Tanner Acr , Manibusan L. , Bruss J. (2000). Dental caries and its relationship to bacterial infection, hypoplasia, diet and oral hygiene in 6- to 36-month-old children . Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 28:295-306.

11.

Mohan A. , Morse DE , O'Sullivan DM , Tinanoff N. (1998). The relationship between bottle usage/content, age, and number of teeth with mutans streptococci colonization in 6-24 month-old children. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 26:12-20.

12.

Powell RN , McEniery TM (1987). The Brisbane Statistical Division survey of adult dental health 1984. 1. Design of survey and subject response. Aust Dent J 32:399-406.

13.

Reisine S. , Douglass J. (1998). Psychosocial and behavioral issues in early childhood caries. Aust Dent J 26(Suppl 1):32-44.

14.

Seow WK ( 1998). Biological mechanisms of early childhood caries . Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 26(Suppl 1):8-27.

15.

Seow WK , Amaratunge A. , Sim R. , Wan A. (1999). Prevalence of caries in urban Australian aborigines aged 1-3.5 years. Pediatr Dent 21:91-96.

16.

Silness J. , Loë H. (1964). Periodontal disease in pregnancy. II. Correlation between oral hygiene and periodontal conditions. Acta Odontol Scand 22:120-135.

17.

van Palenstein-Helderman WH , Ijsseldijk M. , Huis in't Veld JH (1983). A selective medium for the two subgroups of the bacterium Streptococcus mutans isolated from human dental plaque and saliva . Arch Oral Biol 28:599-603.

18.

Wan Akl , Seow WK , Walsh LJ , Purdie DM , Bird PS , Tudehope DI (2001a). Association of Streptococcus mutans colonization and oral developmental nodules in predentate infants. J Dent Res 80:1945-1948.

19.

Wan Akl , Seow WK , Walsh LJ , Bird PS ( 2001b). Comparison of five selective media for the growth and enumeration of Streptococcus mutans. Aust Dent J (in press).

20.

Wilson TG , Kornman KS , editors (1996). Fundamentals of periodontics . Chicago: Quintessence.

21.

World Health Organization (1997). Oral health surveys. Basic methods. 3rd ed. Geneva: WHO.