In contemporary dental practice, the role of dental plaque fermentation in the dental caries disease process is well understood, but difficult to assay for and to demonstrate to patients as an educational and motivational tool. This paper provides an overview of the current concepts of dental plaque fermentation with reference to the health/unhealthy biofilm concept of dental plaque. It explain...

Dental plaque was obtained from one or two sound root surfaces of subjects with different degrees of root-surface caries experience. From subjects with root-surface caries, plaque samples were also obtained from either one incipient or one more advanced lesion. Proportions of the total flora were determined for total streptococci and different streptococcal species, total and different Actinomy...

Background and Objective: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacterium known for its presence in the stomach, but it can also colonize the oral cavity and contribute to various oral and gastric diseases. This study aimed to detect the presence of oral H. pylori and investigate its potential association with dental caries and dental erosion. Methods: Saliva and plaque samples were collected f...

OBJECTIVES Determination of the relative amounts of mutans streptococcus in both saliva and plaque and to study its correlation with dental caries in children. STUDY DESIGN The study comprised of 60 children aged 3-8 years divided into 2 groups (30 children in each): Group A- Children with more than 4 carious teeth and Group B- Children without caries. Saliva and plaque was collected from chi...

Background and objectives: The protective function of saliva against dental caries achieved through its physico-chemical properties The purpose of this comparative study was to evaluate the relationship between some risk factors such as salivary flow rate, pH, oral hygiene (plaque index), buffering capacity, salivary level of lacto bacilli, streptococcus mutans and candida, with dental caries a...

The importance of Streptococcus mutans in the etiology and pathogenesis of dental caries is certainly controversial, in part because excessive attention is paid to the numbers of S. mutans and acid production while the matrix within dental plaque has been neglected. S. mutans does not always dominate within plaque; many organisms are equally acidogenic and aciduric. It is also recognized that g...

BACKGROUND A number of studies have reported that inhaled corticosteroids may cause a greater incidence of caries, reduced salivary flow, changes in saliva composition and an increased frequency of dental plaque, probably through alterations in the oral microbiota. The objective was to compare the frequency of caries, dental plaque and non-stimulated salivary flow rate among asthmatic adolescen...

BACKGROUND The multiple functions of saliva play a significant role in the prevention of dental caries. METHODS Chewing gum is known to stimulate salivary flow, and the results of studies of the role of stimulated saliva in the oral clearance of food particles, neutralization of dental plaque acids and reduction of the incidence of dental caries have been reported. The author reviews the resu...

Whole, unstimulated saliva and dental plaque were collected from 63 children ages 6-13 years, 29 with dental caries and 34 without. If a child was infected with Streptococcus mutans, it was isolated from dental plaque and characterized. Saliva was tested for IgM, IgG, and IgA that would bind indigenous S. mutans, if present, and for antibodies that would bind 6 laboratory strains of S. mutans, ...