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The value of salivary bacterial counts as a supplement to past caries experience as caries predictor in children
Author(s) -
Van Palenstein Helderman Wim H.,
Mikx Frans H M,
Van'T Hof Martin A.,
Truin Gerrit J,
Kalsbeek Huib
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
european journal of oral sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.802
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1600-0722
pISSN - 0909-8836
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0722.2001.00080.x
Subject(s) - streptococcus mutans , medicine , dentistry , predictive value , saliva , correlation , regression analysis , dentition , statistics , mathematics , biology , genetics , geometry , bacteria
This study aimed to determine whether salivary mutans streptococci and lactobacilli counts could add any value to a combination of caries experience variables that was recently presented for the prediction of caries. Sixty‐nine children at the age of 7.5 yr participated in this longitudinal study. Microbiological data were obtained at the ages of 7.5, 9.5 and 11.5 yr and caries data at the ages of 7.5, 9.5, 11.5, 13.5 and 15.5 yr. Spearman's correlation coefficients were computed, and forward multiple regression analyses were carried out using bacterial counts and caries experience parameters as explanatory variables and caries increment as a dependent variable. The explained variance (adjusted R 2 value) was the measure used to assess the additional value of bacterial counts to the caries predictive potential of the combined parameters of the past caries experience. Correlation coefficients between bacterial counts and 4‐yr caries increment were from 0.22 up to 0.54. In all cases, the simultaneous streptococcus mutans‐lactobacilli counts showed a statistically non‐significant additional adjusted R 2 value of <0.06. The results do not lend support to the concept that these salivary bacterial counts are useful additional caries predictors for the mixed dentition, when a combination of caries experience parameters is used.