Salivary intercellular adenosine triphosphate testing in primary caretakers: An examination of statistical significance versus diagnostic predictability.

A primary caretaker is a potential reservoir of bacteria for an infant child and can be evaluated during a child's caries risk assessment. The aim of this study was to investigate an indirect method for assessing Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus (MS) and lactobacillus (LB) levels in a caretaker's saliva. Thirty-eight primary caretakers participated in the study to determine whether a 2-step method to assess the intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels in saliva (saliva i-ATP method) predicted higher MS and LB levels.