scholarly journals The Effectiveness of Early Childhood Caries Treatment with MI Varnish Fluor in Obese Subjects: A Study from Vietnam

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1151
Author(s):  
Ha Van Hung ◽  
Vo Truong Nhu Ngoc ◽  
Dinh-Toi Chu
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Caries ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Tooth Surface ◽  
Obese Children ◽  
Start Time ◽  
Recovery Rates ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Childhood Caries

Objective: We conducted this work to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment for early childhood caries (ECC) using MI Varnish Fluor in obese children aged from 36 to 71 months. Methods: This study was conducted on 300 carious teeth of obese children and normal-weight children in Hanoi, Vietnam, over the period 2019–2020. Diagnodent KaVo 2190 laser equipment was used to diagnose ECC. The children in each group were selected on the basis of similarities in age, gender, and study location, and the teeth in the two groups were selected on the basis of similarities in damage level and jaw position. ECC treatment was performed once a week for four consecutive weeks with MI Varnish Fluor. The child, the child’s family, and the child’s teacher were consulted on diet and oral hygiene during the treatment. Children were examined and monitored throughout the treatment period. Children were re-examined after 3 and 6 months from the start time of treatment. The Mann–Whitney U test and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used, with statistical significance indicated at p < 0.05. Results: After six months of treatment with MI Varnish Fluor, the number of cases of code 0 damage recovery (D0) increased in both groups. The result showed that MI Varnish fluor was effective in ECC treatment. D0 damage recovery rates of 79.3% in obese children and 62.7% in normal-weight children were observed after six months of treatment, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups according to age, tooth position, or tooth surface position in D0 damage recovery. Conclusions: MI Varnish Fluor was effective in ECC treatment, with D0 damage recovery rates of 79.3% in obese children and 62.7% in normal-weight children after six months of treatment.

scholarly journals Association between developmental dental anomalies, early childhood caries and oral hygiene status of 3–5-year-old children in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan ◽  
Michael Alade ◽  
Abiola Adeniyi ◽  
Maha El Tantawi ◽  
Tracy L. Finlayson
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Oral Hygiene ◽  
Early Childhood Caries ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Primary Molars ◽  
Second Primary ◽  
Dental Anomalies ◽  
Enamel Hypoplasia ◽  
Poor Oral Hygiene ◽  
Childhood Caries

Abstract Background To determine the association between developmental dental anomalies (DDA), early childhood caries (ECC) and oral hygiene status of 3–5-year-old children resident in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. We analyzed data for 3–5-year-olds extracted from the dataset of a household survey collected to determine the association between ECC and maternal psychosocial wellbeing in children 0–5-year-old. The outcome variables for the study were ECC and poor oral hygiene. The explanatory variable was the presence of developmental dental anomalies (supernumerary, supplemental, mesiodens, hypodontia, macrodontia, microdontia, peg-shaped lateral, dens evaginatus, dens invaginatus, talons cusp, fusion/germination, hypoplasia, hypomineralized second molar, fluorosis, amelogenesis imperfecta). The prevalence of each anomaly was determined. Poisson regression analysis was conducted to determine the association between presence of developmental dental anomalies, ECC and oral hygiene status. The model was adjusted for sex, age and socioeconomic status. Results Of the 918 children examined, 75 (8.2%) had developmental dental anomalies, 43 (4.7%) had ECC, and 38 (4.1%) had poor oral hygiene. The most prevalent developmental dental anomalies was enamel hypoplasia (3.9%). Of the 43 children with ECC, 6 (14.0%) had enamel hypoplasia and 3 (7.6%) had hypomineralized second primary molar. There was a significant association between ECC and enamel hypoplasia (p < 0.001) and a borderline association between ECC and hypomineralized second primary molars (p = 0.05). The proportion of children with poor oral hygiene (PR: 2.03; 95% CI: 0.91–4.56; p = 0.09) and ECC (PR: 2.02; 95% CI: 0.92–4.46; p = 0.08) who had developmental dental anomalies was twice that of children with good oral hygiene and without ECC respectively, although the differences did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions Enamel hypoplasia and hypomineralized second primary molars are developmental dental anomalies associated with ECC. developmental dental anomalies also increases the probability of having poor oral hygiene in the population studied.

scholarly journals A súlyos korai gyermekkori fogszuvasodás előfordulása és összefüggései pécsi bölcsődések között

2021 ◽  
Vol 162 (22) ◽  
pp. 861-869
Author(s):  
Andrea Radácsi ◽  
Tímea Dergez ◽  
Laura Csabai ◽  
Nóra Stáczer ◽  
Krisztián Katona ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Oral Hygiene ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Early Childhood Caries ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
District Nurses ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Dental Screening ◽  
Prevention Counseling ◽  
Childhood Caries

Összefoglaló. Bevezetés és célkitűzés: A 3 év alatti korcsoportban a súlyos kisgyermekkori fogszuvasodás (S-ECC) gyakoriságának vizsgálata és a kisgyermekes szülők szájegészséggel kapcsolatos ismereteinek felmérése. Módszer: Háromszázhatvankét, 36 hónapos vagy annál fiatalabb gyermek (átlagéletkor: 28,49 ± 5,25 hónap) fogászati szűrővizsgálatát végeztük el, és szüleik számára önkéntesen kitölthető kérdőívet állítottunk össze. A 306 kitöltött kérdőív eredményét a gyermekek fogászati statusával egyénenként összevetve statisztikai analízist végeztünk. Eredmények: A gyermekek fogászati szűrésekor 15,46% volt a cariesprevalencia: df-t-index = 0,685 ± 2,20; az általunk javasolt, az előtört fogak számával módosított df-t-index = 0,758 ± 2,42, SiC-index = 2,06 ± 3,33. A vizsgált populációban nem találtunk tömött vagy fogszuvasodás miatt eltávolított fogat. A korábban szájhigiénés tájékoztatásban részesült/nem részesült szülők gyermekeinél nem volt szignifikáns különbség a szuvas fogak számának (p = 0,196), a fogyasztott folyadék cukortartalmának (81,5%/71,5%) és a bevitel módjának (p = 0,453) tekintetében. A gyermeküket 6 hónapos korukig kizárólagosan anyatejjel tápláló édesanyák nagyobb eséllyel választották a vízzel történő itatást (75%/52%) pohárból (68,1%/28,8%) a későbbiekben. Az édesanya legmagasabb iskolai végzettsége kulcsszerepet játszik mind az anyatejes táplálás melletti elhivatottságban (felsőfok: 53,4%, középfok: 34,2%, alapfok: 37,5%), mind a cariesfrekvencia csökkentésében (p = 0,015). Következtetés: A szülői szájhigiénés prevenciós tájékoztatás jelenleg nem hatékony. Eredményeink alapján a fogászati szűrést 1 éves kor előtt meg kell kezdeni, amely a hatékony, rendszeres fogászati prevenciós tanácsadás lehetőségét is megteremtené. Szükségesnek látjuk a védőnők és a gyermekháziorvosok folyamatos továbbképzésében a kisgyermekkori fogszuvasodás alapismereteinek integrációját. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(22): 861–869. Summary. Introduction and objective: To investigate the frequency of severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) under 3 years of age and to assess the oral health related knowledge of parents/guardians with preschool children. Method: 362 children younger than 36 months (mean age: 28.49 ± 5.25 months) were screened and a voluntary questionnaire for their parents was compiled. Statistical analysis was carried out comparing the results of the 306 completed questionnaires with the dental status of the screened children. Results: Caries prevalence in the examined population was 15.46%, df-t index = 0.685 ± 2.20, our suggested modified df-t index based on the number of erupted teeth = 0.758 ± 2.42, SiC-index = 2.06 ± 3.33. No filled or extracted tooth due to caries was found in the study group. There was no significant difference in the number of carious teeth (p = 0.196), consumption of sugar-containing drinks (81.5%/71.5%) and administration of drinks (p = 0.453) in the case of children whose parents had previously received/not received oral hygiene information. Mothers who exclusively breastfed until the age of 6 months were more likely to choose to offer water (75%/52%) from cup (68.1%/28.8%) later. The mother’s highest level of education plays a key role in both the commitment to breastfeeding (tertiary: 53.4%, secondary: 34.2%, primary: 37.5%) and in reducing the incidence of caries (p = 0.015). Conclusion: Parental oral hygiene preventive instruction is currently ineffective. Based on our results, dental screening should be started before the age of 1 year, that would also provide an opportunity of effective, regular dental prevention counseling. There is a need for the integration of the basics of early childhood caries in the continuous professional training of district nurses and pediatricians. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(22): 861–869.

scholarly journals Firmicutes Levels in the Mouth Reflect the Gut Condition With Respect to Obesity and Early Childhood Caries

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karina Ferreira Rizzardi ◽  
Claudia Maria dos Santos Pereira Indiani ◽  
Renata de Oliveira Mattos-Graner ◽  
Emerson Tavares de Sousa ◽  
Marinês Nobre-dos-Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Early Childhood Caries ◽  
Caries Experience ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Anatomical Location ◽  
Obese Children ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Dental Biofilm ◽  
Childhood Caries

The present cross-sectional study investigated whether Firmicutes (F) and Bacteroidetes (B) levels in the mouth reflected the gut condition in obesity and early childhood caries (ECC). Eighty preschoolers (3-5 years) were equally assigned into four groups: 1. obese + ECC, 2. obese + caries-free (CF), 3. eutrophic + ECC, and 4. eutrophic + CF. Nutritional status and ECC were assessed based on the WHO criteria. Dental biofilm and fecal samples were collected for F and B quantification using RT-PCR analysis. Data were evaluated using three-way-ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation (α = 0.05). Regardless of the anatomical location effect (p = 0.22), there were higher values for F in the obese children + ECC compared with those in obese + caries-free (CF) in both mouth and gut (p &lt; 0.05). The correlation for F at these sites was negative in obese children + ECC (r = −0.48; p = 0.03) and positive in obese children + CF (r=0.50; p = 0.03). Bacteroidetes were influenced by ECC (p = 0.03) and the anatomical location (p = 0.00), and the levels tended to be higher in the mouth of the obese children + ECC (p = 0.04). The F/B ratio was higher in the gut and was affected by the anatomical location (p = 0.00). This preliminary study suggested that modulated by ECC, counts of oral Firmicutes reflected corresponding condition in the gut of obese preschoolers. In addition, we first evidenced that the Firmicutes phylum behave differently according to the nutritional status and caries experience and that supragingival biofilm and gut could share levels of similarity.

scholarly journals Comparative Evaluation of Salivary Malondialdehyde Levels in Children with Different Caries Status- A Cross-Sectional Observational Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 147-154
Author(s):  
Dhanalakshmi Ravikumar ◽  
Pratibha Ramani ◽  
R. Gayathri
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Early Childhood Caries ◽  
Observational Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Chewing Ability ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Salivary Malondialdehyde ◽  
Childhood Caries

Background and Objectives: Early childhood caries is a major public health problem especially in young children. ECC affects the quality of life of young children by affecting the chewing ability of children due to the development of pain and swelling, and this may indirectly affect the nutritional status of a child. The present study was done to assess the level of salivary malondialdehyde in children with and without Early childhood caries. The main objective of the study is to determine the salivary malondialdehyde levels and to compare it with the three groups of children with different caries experiences. Materials and Methods: It is cross-sectional observational research carried out at Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals. Children between 3-6 years were examined and 20 caries-free, 20 children with ECC as well as 20 children with S-ECC were recruited for the study. The caries status was assessed using dmfs and the severity of caries was assessed using pufa index. Salivary samples were collected and analysed for salivary malondialdehyde levels. Statistical Analysis: The data was entered and analysed using SPSS software version 20.0. One-way ANOVA was done to determine the difference in malondialdehyde levels between the groups. “Post-hoc Tukey” test was done to measure the intergroup significance. A “P value of < 0.05” was measured as statistically “significant” and P < 0.001 was deemed as statistically “highly significant”. Pearson’s correlation was done to correlate pufa values with malondialdehyde levels. Results: The results demonstrated that there was a statistically significant difference in salivary malondialdehyde levels among caries-free, ECC as well as S-ECC children. There was a positive correlation between the pufa score and salivary malondialdehyde levels. Conclusion: 1. There is a significant difference in the salivary malondialdehyde levels among caries-free, ECC as well as S-ECC children. There was a positive correlation of salivary malondialdehyde levels and pufa score in ECC and S-ECC children.

Analysis of Oral Microbial Dysbiosis Associated With Early Childhood Caries

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Zheng ◽  
Teng-Fei Xie ◽  
Shao-Kai Li ◽  
Xiao-Tong Qiao ◽  
Yan Feng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Caries ◽  
Illumina Miseq ◽  
16S Rrna Genes ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Deciduous Teeth ◽  
Microbial Dysbiosis ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Pcr Products ◽  
Childhood Caries

Abstract Background: "Core microbes" play a key role in the development of caries and lead to microflora disorders. Our goal was to detect the core microbes associated with the microbial flora imbalance in early childhood caries (ECC). Methods: Fifteen caries-free children and fifteen high-caries (DMFT≥10) children aged 4-6 years old were recruited according to the diagnostic criteria of caries suggested by the WHO. The 16S rRNA genes from plaque samples loaded in saliva were amplified by PCR, and the PCR products were sequenced by the Illumina Miseq platform. The sequencing results were analyzed by professional software to determine the composition and structure of the saliva microorganisms.Results: There were statistically significant differences between the groups regarding the relative abundance of S. mutans (Wilcoxon rank-sum test, P<0.05). No significant difference was found between the groups regarding other species or functional genes. Conclusion: Neither unique microbes leading to early caries in deciduous teeth nor characteristics of a microbial community with a disordered structure were found. Some microorganisms related to dental caries in young children were found, but whether these microbes were truly related or were false positives requires further verification.

scholarly journals Association of Maternal Vitamin D Deficiency with Early Childhood Caries

2019 ◽  
Vol 98 (5) ◽  
pp. 549-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Singleton ◽  
G. Day ◽  
T. Thomas ◽  
R. Schroth ◽  
J. Klejka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Cord Blood ◽  
Early Childhood Caries ◽  
Serum Vitamin ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Vitamin D Levels ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Prenatal Visits ◽  
Childhood Caries

Alaska Native (AN) children experience one of the highest reported rates of severe early childhood caries (S-ECC). Serum vitamin D concentrations in AN childbearing women in the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta (YKD) region have decreased since the 1960s to currently low levels, related to a decrease in traditional marine diet. Recent studies suggest an association between prenatal vitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations in mothers and S-ECC in their infants. We used independent t tests to analyze the influence of prenatal 25(OH)D levels in YKD AN mothers on S-ECC in their children using data collected in the Maternal Organics Monitoring Study (MOMS). Maternal 25(OH)D levels were assessed at prenatal visits and in cord blood. We queried electronic dental records to assess early childhood caries (ECC) status using highest decayed, missing, filled, primary teeth (dmft) scores at 12 to 59 mo of age. We examined prenatal and cord blood for 76 and 57 mother/infant pairs, respectively. Children 12 to 35 mo of age with “deficient” cord blood (25(OH)D <30 nmol/L) had a mean dmft score twice as high as children who were “nondeficient” at birth (9.3 vs. 4.7; P = 0.002). There was no significant difference in mean dmft scores for children aged 36 to 59 mo with deficient versus nondeficient cord blood 25(OH)D (10.9 vs. 8.7 P = 0.14). There was no significant difference in mean dmft scores for children aged 12 to 35 mo whose mothers had “sufficient” versus “insufficient” 25(OH)D during prenatal visits (9.0 vs. 7.4; P = 0.48). In this small sample, children with deficient vitamin D levels in cord blood had a dmft score at 12 to 35 mo 2-fold higher than children with nondeficient cord blood. Maternal 25(OH)D may influence the primary dentition, and improving vitamin D status in pregnant women might affect ECC rates in their infants.

A Polymorphism in the MTRR Gene Is Associated with Early Childhood Caries and Underweight

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lívia Azeredo Alves Antunes ◽  
Claudio Manoel Cabral Machado ◽  
Ana Carolina Kuntz Couto ◽  
Ludiana Barbosa Lopes ◽  
Fernanda Cunha Sena ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Caries ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Methionine Synthase ◽  
Caries Experience ◽  
Methionine Synthase Reductase ◽  
Genotype Frequencies ◽  
Childhood Caries

Polymorphisms in genes encoding the enzymes involved in the metabolism of homocysteine, such as methionine synthase (MTR) and methionine synthase reductase (MTRR), play an important function in the metabolism of folic acid and vitamin B12. The present study aimed to evaluate the association of polymorphisms in genes MTR (rs1805087) and MTRR (rs1801394) with susceptibility of early childhood caries (ECC) and with body mass index alterations. A cross-sectional study was performed in 488 children aged from 2 to 6 years from 25 public day care centers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Demographic data and oral health habits were obtained through a questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements and caries experience data were collected by 2 examiners (κ = 0.80). Genotyping of the selected polymorphisms was carried out by TaqMan real-time PCR using genomic DNA extracted from buccal cells. Allele and genotype frequencies were compared between groups with and without disease. The t test, χ2 test, odds ratio, Pearson correlation tests, and logistic regression analysis were used (p ≤ 0.05). The mean white spot lesion score was 1.18 (±2.57) in normal weight children and 2.50 (±3.87) in underweight children (p = 0.05). For MTRR polymorphisms, significant differences were observed for allele and genotype frequency distributions between caries-free and caries-affected children (p = 0.03 and 0.04 for allele and genotype frequencies, respectively) and in the genotype frequencies between normal weight and underweight children (p = 0.04). Our results suggest an association between underweight and ECC; in addition it is suggested that MTRR is a common genetic risk factor for ECC and underweight.

scholarly journals Prediction Models of Early Childhood Caries Based on Machine Learning Algorithms

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 8613
Author(s):  
You-Hyun Park ◽  
Sung-Hwa Kim ◽  
Yoon-Young Choi
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Random Forest ◽  
Early Childhood Caries ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Childhood Caries

In this study, we developed machine learning-based prediction models for early childhood caries and compared their performances with the traditional regression model. We analyzed the data of 4195 children aged 1–5 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data (2007–2018). Moreover, we developed prediction models using the XGBoost (version 1.3.1), random forest, and LightGBM (version 3.1.1) algorithms in addition to logistic regression. Two different methods were applied for variable selection, including a regression-based backward elimination and a random forest-based permutation importance classifier. We compared the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) values and misclassification rates of the different models and observed that all four prediction models had AUROC values ranging between 0.774 and 0.785. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed between the AUROC values of the four models. Based on the results, we can confirm that both traditional logistic regression and ML-based models can show favorable performance and can be used to predict early childhood caries, identify ECC high-risk groups, and implement active preventive treatments. However, further research is essential to improving the performance of the prediction model using recent methods, such as deep learning.

scholarly journals Relationship Between Mutans Streptococci and Lactobacilli in the Oral Cavity and Intestine of Obese and Eutrophic Children With Early Childhood Caries—Preliminary Findings of a Cross-Sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Maria dos Santos Pereira Indiani ◽  
Karina Ferreira Rizzardi ◽  
Camila Lopes Crescente ◽  
Carolina Steiner-Oliveira ◽  
Marinês Nobre-dos-Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Oral Cavity ◽  
Early Childhood Caries ◽  
Mutans Streptococci ◽  
Wilcoxon Test ◽  
World Health ◽  
Sign Test ◽  
Obese Children ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Childhood Caries

This brief communication assessed whether there was any relationship between the counts of lactobacilli (LB) and mutans streptococci (MS) in the oral cavity and intestine of obese and eutrophic children with early childhood caries (ECC). Seventy-eight preschoolers were assigned into the following groups: 1. obese children with ECC (OECC), 2. eutrophic children with ECC (EECC), 3. obese caries-free children (OCF), and 4. eutrophic caries-free children (ECF). The diagnosis of obesity and ECC was based on the World Health Organization criteria. Dental plaque and fecal samples were collected to assess the counts of MS and LB using selective media. Data were evaluated by Poisson regression analysis, Wilcoxon test, and Sign test. Microbial indicators of ECC in obese children were MS counts in the intestine [rate ratio (RR): 4.38] and presence of LB in the oral cavity (RR: 2.12). The indicators in eutrophic children were MS levels and the presence of LB, both in the oral cavity (RR: 6.35/1.50) and intestine (RR: 2.35/2.38) (p &lt; 0.05). The comparison between MS levels in the mouth and in the intestine revealed significant differences only in the ECF group (p = 0.04). Regarding LB presence in the mouth vs. in the intestine, except for the OCF group (p = 0.03), no other statistical differences were found. Our preliminary findings highlighted that the levels of MS and the presence of LB in the oral cavity, as well as in the lower gastrointestinal tract were associated with ECC. Moreover, obesity was found to influence this relationship.

Insights into the Virulence Traits of Streptococcus mutans in Dentine Carious Lesions of Children with Early Childhood Caries

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 279-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela S. Bezerra ◽  
Rafael N. Stipp ◽  
Beatriz G. Neves ◽  
Sarah F.F. Guedes ◽  
Marcelle M. Nascimento ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Streptococcus Mutans ◽  
Early Childhood Caries ◽  
Microbial Growth ◽  
Bacterial Survival ◽  
Carious Lesions ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Oral Bacterium ◽  
Carious Dentine ◽  
Childhood Caries

Streptococcus mutans is an oral bacterium considered to play a major role in the development of dental caries. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of S. mutans in active and arrested dentine carious lesions of children with early childhood caries and to examine the expression profile of selected S. mutans genes associated with survival and virulence, within the same carious lesions. Dentine samples were collected from 29 active and 16 arrested carious lesions that were diagnosed in preschool children aged 2-5 years. Total RNA was extracted from the dentine samples, and reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR analyses were performed for the quantification of S. mutans and for analyses of the expression of S. mutans genes associated with bacterial survival (atpD, nox, pdhA) and virulence (fabM and aguD). There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of S. mutans between active and arrested carious lesions. Expression of the tested genes was detected in both types of carious dentine. The pdhA (p = 0.04) and aguD (p = 0.05) genes were expressed at higher levels in arrested as compared to active lesions. Our findings revealed that S. mutans is part of the viable microbial community in active and arrested dentine carious lesions. The increase in expression of the pdhA and aguD genes in arrested lesions is likely due to the unfavourable environmental conditions for microbial growth, inherent to this type of lesions.

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