Oral Microbiota in Severe Early Childhood Caries in Thai Children and Their Families: A Pilot Study.

Ruth G Ledder,Rawee Teanpaisan,Kanokporn Kampoo,Andrew J Mcbain

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2018.02420

Abstract

Thailand has a comparatively high prevalence of severe early childhood caries (S-ECC). S-ECC adversely affects the quality of life for children and their caregivers and represents a considerable economic burden. We have assessed the bacteriological composition of unstimulated saliva, dental plaque, and degraded dentine in a Thai cohort, including children with S-ECC and children without cavities; their siblings, and their primary caregivers. Samples were collected during a dental examination and patients were scored for plaque accumulation and their decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) index. Samples were analyzed using differential bacteriological counting and gel-based eubacterial DNA profiling. Plaque Lactobacillus abundance correlated significantly with S-ECC. Whilst Lactobacillus counts were significantly higher in children with S-ECC than in their siblings and primary caregivers (five families), the opposite trend was apparent for cavity-free children. Counts of Gram-negative anaerobes were significantly lower in children with S-ECC than orally healthy children. S-ECC correlated significantly with plaque index scores, dmft, and with Lactobacillus abundance in a highly predictive manner. DNA profiles showed significant homology between families but not within non-cavity and S-ECC groups. In conclusion, salivary and plaque Lactobacillus counts were significantly associated with S-ECC in the Thai subjects. Lactobacillus counts in the children were not correlated with those of their siblings and primary caregivers. Individuals could be significantly differentiated based on family but not on caries status.

Highlights

Childhood caries is a common chronic condition affecting the primary dentition, which may progress to severe early childhood caries (S-ECC), resulting in the partial or complete destruction of the primary dentition (Davies, 1998; Drury et al, 1999; Ismail and Sohn, 1999; Vadiakas, 2008)
Indicative power calculations with data generated in the present study suggest that sample sizes between cavity and CF children required for 80% statistical power would be eight subjects for salivary total anaerobes, six subjects for streptococci in plaque and, due to the large difference in counts, only three subjects for salivary lactobacilli
According to culture data, lactobacillus levels were considerably higher in children with S-ECC

Summary

Introduction

Childhood caries is a common chronic condition affecting the primary dentition, which may progress to severe early childhood caries (S-ECC), resulting in the partial or complete destruction of the primary dentition (Davies, 1998; Drury et al, 1999; Ismail and Sohn, 1999; Vadiakas, 2008). Capnocytophaga granulosa, Eubacterium, Streptococcus cristatus, and S. sanguinis were detected at the same levels in plaque adjacent to intact enamel of the primary teeth of subjects with caries and in caries-free subjects (Becker et al, 2002; Aas et al, 2008). These observations are consistent with another previous report where Actinomyces gerencseriae, bifidobacteria, Streptococcus mutans, veillonella, S. salivarius, S. constellatus, S. parasanguinis, and Lactobacillus fermentum were associated with caries (Becker et al, 2002)

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Discussion

Conclusion