MICROBIAL CARIOGENIC FACTORS AND THE MECHANISMS OF THEIR COUNTERACTION IN THE ORAL FLUID OF CHILDREN AT EARLY AGE

Abstract

Objective – to determine the balance between pro- and antibacterial agents influencingupon the development of a carious process in children at an early age.Materials and methods. 117 children 2-3 years of age were examined. Two observationgroups were formed depending on the condition of the hard dental tissues. І groupincluded 52 children without caries, group II– 65 children with caries. The oral hygieneof the children from the observation groups was assessed by means of Kuzmina EM index.Lysozyme activity in the oral fluid was studied by means of bacteriological method. sIgАcontent was determined by means of radial immunodiffusion method. Streptococcusmutans concentration in the oral fluid of children was determined by means of «SalivaCheck Mutans» set. All the manipulations were carried out after an informed consent ofparents was obtained.Results. Oral hygiene in children during the period of the temporal occlusion formationis found to be unsatisfactory – (0,48±0,20) points according to Kuzmina EM index. Thelevel of colonization of the oral cavity with Streptococcus mutans is high in 34,48 %of stomatologically healthy children and in 73,33 % of children with caries. Underconditions of caries process development, the main protective components in the oralfluid change. In particular, sIgA level 17,14 % increases concerning the index of healthychildren (р<0,05), and lysozyme activity 1,25 times decreases respectively (р<0,05).Conclusions. All the children examined present soft dental plaque, which is confirmedby the values of hygienic indices and levels of Streptococcus mutans concentration,which is reliably higher in children from group II. Under conditions of caries processdevelopment, changes of the major protective components of the oral cavity appear. Theypromote effective action of cariogenic factors.