RESUMO
This research was carried out with the purpose of learning about relationship between degree of infection by Streptococcus mutans in saliva and prevalence of caries and further incidence in a one year term. A total of 931 children aged 2-3 years of Havana City and Sancti Spiritus Province, and 10 different series of school children aged 6-12 years of both provinces, with a total of 848 children, were studied. A direct significant relationship between degree of infection by S. mutans and prevalence of caries (percentage of affected children and co/COPD index) was found in the groups under study. Likewise, in the relationship between previous degree of infection and incidence of caries, differences were significative in children aged 2-3 years and in six of the 10 series of school children, with a correlation (r) of 0.216. It is analyzed that despite that degree of infection by Streptococcus mutans is the parameter with higher correlation with cariogenic activity, its predictive value is not enough by itself, therefore, a joint valuation with other parameters also related to cariogenic activity is required, in order to be able to reach necessary validity in the prognosis.
Assuntos
Cárie Dentária/microbiologia , Streptococcus mutans/isolamento & purificação , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Cuba/epidemiologia , Índice CPO , Cárie Dentária/epidemiologia , Suscetibilidade à Cárie Dentária , Humanos , Prevalência , Saliva/microbiologiaRESUMO
An investigation was carried out in hypercaries-producing children, who had have previously curative treatment. Twenty three children were treated with semestral applications of fluorine-chlorhexidine varnish and daily brushing for 15 days every three months, with dental creme with chlorhexidine, while 21 children were selected as control group. Four analysis of Str. mutants in saliva (Matsukubo technique) were performed to each child in both groups, during a year. It was found that children treated reduced, remarkably, the degree of infection by Str. mutans, while degree of infection did not suffer modification in those children of the control group. The final examination performed after one year showed that 15 children of the control group resulted affected by caries (71.4%) with an incidence of 27 caries (1.29 index), while in the group under treatment only a child resulted affected with a caries. Reduction found in the incidence of caries was 96.9%. Problematic of hypercaries-producing child is analyzed and it is concluded that it is necessary to control and record him, and that investment in a strict treatment, such as that successfully assayed by us, should be rentable, since it should reduce amount of extractions of teeth and to contribute in that way to a real promotion of oral health with the infantile population.