Risk-based caries prevention program in preschool children reduces caries clinical outcomes but does not reduce mutans streptococci outcomes over a 3-year study period

The aim of the study is to investigate the feasibility of milk fluoridation as a vehicle for caries prevention, based on the current epidemiological status and its trends of dental caries in preschool children in the area of the Haidian District of Beijing, where the indications exist: Fluoride level in drinking water is low (0.2-0.3 ppm), and water fluoridation and other systemic uses of fluorides are unilkely. From 75.9 to 79.7% of 3-6-year-old children were identified as having high caries experience (dmft 4.29-4.35). It was found that 60% of the preschool children who attended kindergarten were 3-6 years old, and 40% of the 1-2-yearolds were living with their families. There is a local dairy to produce milk for the population living in this district. The amount of fresh milk produced daily is about 50,000-60,000 kg. A special kind of milk with vitamins A and D is also available for the preschool children. Data available from the Community MCH Centre indicated that the percentage of breast-feeding is 12% only. The first choice by parents for artificial feeding to the babies is fresh or powdered milk. Therefore, the breast-feeding project started in 1992. It is recommended that mothers' milk should be provided to the babies for at least four months after birth, when a specially prescribed milk for the babies, produced by the dairy, will be provided on a daily basis. The cost of milk is cheaper than others. In this connection, a five-year project on milk fluoridation as a pilot study at the community level for caries prevention of preschool children is now planned. The project is supported by BDMF, WHO, and Chinese MOPH.

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Caries Incidence in Relation to Salivary Mutans Streptococci and Fluoride Varnish Applications in Preschool Children from Low- and Optimal-Fluoride Areas

Caries Research ◽

10.1159/000262341 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 30 (5) ◽

pp. 347-353 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

S. Twetman ◽

L.G. Petersson ◽

G.N. Pakhomov

Keyword(s):

Preschool Children ◽

Mutans Streptococci ◽

Fluoride Varnish

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Detection of streptococcus mutans and streptococcus sobrinus in dental plaque samples from Brazilian preschool children by polymerase chain reaction

Brazilian Dental Journal ◽

10.1590/s0103-64402007000400011 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 329-333 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Teresa Cristina Costa Franco e Franco ◽

Patrícia Amoroso ◽

José Moacir Marin ◽

Fernando Antonio de Ávila

Keyword(s):

Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Preschool Children ◽

Dental Plaque ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Mutans Streptococci ◽

World Health ◽

Streptococcus Sobrinus ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Discriminative Ability ◽

Polymerase Chain

The purposes of this study were to detect S. mutans and S. sobrinus by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, and to relate their presence to the incidence of dental caries in 42 Brazilian preschool children. Dental plaque samples were collected from the cervical margin of all erupted teeth of 5-6 years old children with primary dentition, using a sterile explorer. Examination of the dmft (decayed, missing, filled teeth) index, performed following the World Health Organization (WHO) caries diagnostic criteria, showed a 2.71 score. Prevalence of S. mutans and S. sobrinus was respectively, of 85.7% and 14.3%; no dental plaque sample was either positive or negative for both bacterial species. Children harboring either S. mutans or S. sobrinus presented the same caries prevalence. PCR showed good discriminative ability for differentiation between these species, and suggested that it is a technique suitable for epidemiological studies on mutans streptococci.

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