Author: Brent David JohnsonPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Streptococcus mutans
Languages : en
Pages : 32
Book Description
Abstract: Nested PCR using a newly-developed oligonucleotide primer specific to the 16S- 23S ribosomal DNA Intergenic Spacer Region for Streptococcus mutans was used to determine the prevalence of Streptococcus mutans in 112 supragingival plaque samples obtained from 55 children and adolescents with and without caries experience. In all, twenty-two children with primary dentition under the age of 30 months, sixteen children with severe caries in the primary dentition, and seventeen children and adolescents ages eight to sixteen were sampled; subjects with caries experience provided samples from intact enamel, enamel whitespots, cavitated enamel, and dentin lesions. Some subjects were sampled multiple times longitudinally. Development and testing of the newly-developed oligonucleotide primer using MacVector software and genomic sequence data obtained from GenBank enabled analysis of the primer's specificity for Streptococcus mutans. Overall, 91% of the subjects contained Streptococcus mutans in at least one of their plaque samples. In addition, over 92% of caries-free subjects contained plaque with Streptococcus mutans, and subjects with caries demonstrated from 73% to 95% prevalence of Streptococcus mutans depending on the sample location. These levels of prevalence are similar to other reports of Streptococcus mutans prevalence in the young primary and primary dentition.