Effect of restorative treatment on mutans streptococci and IgA antibodies.

PURPOSE Streptococcus mutans has been implicated as the major causative agent of dental caries. Although restorative treatment for caries is thought to temporarily eliminate the carious challenge, there are few reports of alterations in salivary mutans streptococci (MS) numbers and no reports of changes in salivary IgA antibody to S. mutans following restorative treatment. METHODS This study investigated the effects of treatment in 12 caries-active children. RESULTS Numbers of MS decreased slightly from pre- to postrestoration levels in six subjects and increased in five subjects. However, there were no significant differences in pre-to postrestoration numbers of total oral streptococci, MS, the percentage of MS/total oral streptococci, salivary IgA antibody levels to S. mutans, or correlations between bacterial counts and IgA antibody levels. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that successful restorative treatment does not alter mutans streptococcal numbers and suggest the need for more effective methods for reducing the cariogenic challenge.