Salivary levels of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli in dentate 80‐ and 85‐year‐old Swedish men and women

Abstract

The number of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, and lactobacilli in whole stimulated saliva was examined in 130 dentate 80- and 85-yr-old persons. 88.5% were positive for mutans streptococci and 29% carried greater than 10(6) cfu per ml saliva. S. mutans was most frequently isolated and was found in 114 persons (88%) alone or in combination with S. sobrinus. S. sobrinus was detected in 33 persons (25%), who also showed significantly higher salivary numbers of both mutans streptococci and lactobacilli than persons from whom S. sobrinus was not isolated. The S. sobrinus carriers also had significantly lower stimulated saliva secretion rates than the non-carriers. 95% of the subjects had detectable levels of lactobacilli in saliva with 35% having greater than 10(5) cfu per ml saliva. When the subjects were divided into classes according to the number of intermaxillary contacts, i.e. the Eichner classification, the distribution of subjects with high and low salivary counts of cariogenic bacteria varied. Thus fewer subjects belonging to Eichner class A showed higher salivary numbers of mutans streptococci (14% had greater than 10(6) cfu/ml) as well as lactobacilli (21% had greater than 10(5) cfu/ml) than, for example, subjects belonging to Eichner class B (26% had greater than 10(6) cfu/ml of mutans streptococci, 35% had greater than 10(5) cfu/ml of lactobacilli). Subjects who carried a removable denture(s) had significantly higher salivary numbers of both mutans streptococci and lactobacilli than subjects without removable dentures.