It is widely accepted that all foods containing "fermentable carbohydrates" have the potential to contribute to caries formation. Fermentable carbohydrates are present in most starches and all sugars, including those that occur naturally in foods and those added in processed foods. The relative cariogenicity of chocolates is dependent on their composition, texture, solubility, retentiveness and...

The genome of Streptococcus mutans harbours 13 two-component signal transduction systems (TCSTSs). Of these, a peptide-mediated quorum-sensing system, ComCDE, and the HK/RR11 two-component system are well known to regulate several virulence-associated traits in in vitro experiments, including genetic competence, bacteriocin production, biofilm formation and stress responses. In this study, we i...

BACKGROUND The genotypic diversity and cariogenicity of C. albicans from the dental plaque of children are poorly understood. This study aimed to explore the genotypic diversity and cariogenicity of C. albicans from children with early childhood caries and caries-free children. METHODS Dental plaque samples from 238 children with early childhood caries and from 125 caries-free children were c...

It has been speculated that the red fluorescence emitted by dental plaque could be related to its cariogenicity. To test this hypothesis, we designed this crossover in situ study, with two experimental phases of 14 days each. Seventeen volunteers, wearing a palatal appliance with bovine enamel blocks, were instructed to drip a 20% sucrose solution (experimental group) or purified water (control...

Streptococcus mutans is the etiological agent of dental caries and one of the many bacterial species implicated in infective endocarditis. The expression of the collagen-binding protein Cnm by S. mutans has been associated with extraoral infections, but its relevance for dental caries has only been theorized to date. Due to the collagenous composition of dentinal and root tissues, we hypothesiz...

In the last 20 years, mainly due to optimum fluoride exposure, and practice of good oral hygiene procedures, an important reduction in caries has been observed, despite the fact that sugar consumption was maintained and/or was increasing during the same lapse of time. A sugar-caries relationship cannot be established in most of the industrialized countries and the dietary factor is not as prepo...

PURPOSE The rate of bariatric surgery in the United States has risen significantly in the past decade as the prevalence of extreme obesity continues to increase. Although bariatric surgery is an effective therapeutic modality for extreme obesity, it is associated with risk factors and select oral health conditions. This case study describes a patient with a significant increase in dental caries...