Comparison of species isolated from children with and without early childhood caries: A descriptive cross-sectional study.

Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) is characterized by the presence of one or more decayed, missing (due to caries), or filled teeth surfaces in any primary tooth, in a child below 6 years of age. Although ECC is primarily associated with high levels of maternal Streptococcus mutans, there has been an increased interest in finding the relationship between oral fungal flora and dental caries.

Objective: The aim of the study is to identify and characterize the Candida species and to compare the candidal isolates in children with ECC and without ECC.