Displays Altered Stress Responses While Enhancing Biofilm Formation by in Mixed-Species Consortium.

Like , lactobacilli are commonly isolated from carious sites, although their exact role in caries development remains unclear. This study used mixed-species models to analyze biofilm formation by major groups of oral lactobacilli, including ssp. , and .

Conservative Management of Dental Caries Using Silver Nitrate and Atraumatic Restorative Treatment in Remote Rural Setting.

Managing dental caries remains a challenge to clinicians—more so when treating caries in remote, underserved areas of the world. The purpose of this article is to report preliminary results of an effort to reduce to practice the best features of silver nitrate (SN) anti-caries effect and atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) for lesion preparation and restoration. The modifications made to two approaches have practical applications to school-based outreach programs hoping to respond to the dire need for preventive and conservative restorative methods in parts of the world where access to the dental office is unobtainable.

Expanding the biotechnology potential of lactobacilli through comparative genomics of 213 strains and associated genera.

Lactobacilli are a diverse group of species that occupy diverse nutrient-rich niches associated with humans, animals, plants and food. They are used widely in biotechnology and food preservation, and are being explored as therapeutics. Exploiting lactobacilli has been complicated by metabolic diversity, unclear species identity and uncertain relationships between them and other commercially important lactic acid bacteria.

Characterizing Diversity of Lactobacilli Associated with Severe Early Childhood Caries: A Study Protocol.

Lactobacilli have been consistently associated with dental caries for decades; however, knowledge of this group of bacteria in the etiology of the disease is limited to quantitative elucidation. Nowadays, explicit identification of oral species is possible, despite their taxonomic complexity. Here we describe a combined approach involving both cultivation and genetic methods to ascertain and characterize the diversity and abundance of the population in the oral cavities of children with severe early childhood caries (S-ECC).

Comparative genomics of oral isolates of Streptococcus mutans by in silico genome subtraction does not reveal accessory DNA associated with severe early childhood caries.

Comparative genomics is a popular method for the identification of microbial virulence determinants, especially since the sequencing of a large number of whole bacterial genomes from pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains has become relatively inexpensive. The bioinformatics pipelines for comparative genomics usually include gene prediction and annotation and can require significant computer power. To circumvent this, we developed a rapid method for genome-scale in silico subtractive hybridization, based on blastn and independent of feature identification and annotation.

Phylogenetic analysis of glucosyltransferases and implications for the coevolution of mutans streptococci with their mammalian hosts.

Glucosyltransferases (Gtfs) catalyze the synthesis of glucans from sucrose and are produced by several species of lactic-acid bacteria. The oral bacterium Streptococcus mutans produces large amounts of glucans through the action of three Gtfs. GtfD produces water-soluble glucan (WSG), GtfB synthesizes water-insoluble glucans (WIG) and GtfC produces mainly WIG but also WSG.

Distribution of putative virulence genes in Streptococcus mutans strains does not correlate with caries experience.

Streptococcus mutans, a member of the human oral flora, is a widely recognized etiological agent of dental caries. The cariogenic potential of S. mutans is related to its ability to metabolize a wide variety of sugars, form a robust biofilm, produce copious amounts of lactic acid, and thrive in the acid environment that it generates.

Evidence-based clinical recommendations for the use of pit-and-fissure sealants: a report of the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs.

This article presents evidence-based clinical recommendations for use of pit-and-fissure sealants developed by an expert panel convened by the American Dental Association (ADA) Council on Scientific Affairs. The panel addressed the following clinical questions. Under what circumstances should sealants be placed to prevent caries? Does placing sealants over early (noncavitated) lesions prevent progression of the lesion? Are there conditions that favor the placement of resin-based versus glass ionomer cement sealants in terms of retention or caries prevention? Are there any techniques that could improve sealants' retention and effectiveness in caries prevention? Staff of the ADA Division of Science conducted a MEDLINE search to identify systematic reviews and clinical studies published after the identified systematic reviews.

Genetic classification of severe early childhood caries by use of subtracted DNA fragments from Streptococcus mutans.

Streptococcus mutans is one of several members of the oral indigenous biota linked with severe early childhood caries (S-ECC). Because most humans harbor S. mutans, but not all manifest disease, it has been proposed that the strains of S.

The effect of dental sealants on bacteria levels in caries lesions: a review of the evidence.

Background: Concern about inadvertently sealing over caries often prevents dentists from providing dental sealants. The objective of the authors' review was to examine the effects of sealants on bacteria levels within caries lesions under dental sealants.

Methods: The authors searched electronic databases for comparative studies examining bacteria levels in sealed permanent teeth.

Evidence-based clinical recommendations for the use of pit-and-fissure sealants: a report of the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs.

Background: This article presents evidence-based clinical recommendations for use of pit-and-fissure sealants developed by an expert panel convened by the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs. The panel addressed the following clinical questions: Under what circumstances should sealants be placed to prevent caries? Does placing sealants over early (noncavitated) lesions prevent progression of the lesion? Are there conditions that favor the placement of resin-based versus. glass ionomer cement sealants in terms of retention or caries prevention? Are there any techniques that could improve sealants' retention and effectiveness in caries prevention?

Types Of Studies Reviewed: Staff of the ADA Division of Science conducted a MEDLINE search to identify systematic reviews and clinical studies published after the identified systematic reviews.

Development of species-specific primers for detection of Streptococcus mutans in mixed bacterial samples.

Streptococcus mutans is the major microbial pathogen associated with dental caries in children. The objectives of this study were to design and evaluate species-specific primers for the identification of S. mutans.

Attitudes and expectations of treating deep caries: a PEARL Network survey.

A survey was conducted within a practice-based dental research network to determine dentists' treatment methods for deep caries lesions and whether the dentists' intended treatment approaches were influenced by their expectations for pulpal exposure. The survey further examined how general dentistry practices have adopted scientific evidence of caries classification, excavation, and capping techniques. Dentists were queried regarding liner use, hypersensitivity considerations, point of endodontic therapy, and anticipated vitality outcomes from Class I resin-based composite restorations over three to five years.

Effect of 2% iodine disinfecting solution on bond strength to dentin.

Introduction: Disinfection of dentin surfaces is desirable so long as it does not interfere with subsequent bonding of adhesive resins.

Objective: To test the null hypothesis that bond strengths to dentin are not affected by previous application of an iodine disinfecting solution.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-four extracted non-carious molars were selected.

Population structure of plasmid-containing strains of Streptococcus mutans, a member of the human indigenous biota.

There are suggestions that the phylogeny of Streptococcus mutans, a member of the human indigenous biota that is transmitted mostly mother to child, might parallel the evolutionary history of its human host. The relatedness and phylogeny of plasmid-containing strains of S. mutans were examined based on chromosomal DNA fingerprints (CDF), a hypervariable region (HVR) of a 5.

Dental caries: an infectious and transmissible disease.

By definition, dental caries is an infectious and transmissible disease because it is caused by bacteria colonizing the tooth surfaces. Unlike most infectious diseases affecting humans, caries is the result of an imbalance of the indigenous oral biota rather than a nonindigenous, exogenous pathogen. The introduction of refined sugar into modern society's diet has tipped the balance from health to disease.

Identification of unique bacterial gene segments from Streptococcus mutans with potential relevance to dental caries by subtraction DNA hybridization.

Using DNA subtractive hybridization, 49 unique gene segments were identified from a strain of Streptococcus mutans that was isolated from a patient with severe early childhood caries (S-ECC). Further hybridization with DNA from other S. mutans strains isolated from both caries-active and caries-free subjects yielded five unique sequences of DNA common to strains associated with S-ECC.

Dental caries: an infectious and transmissible disease where have we been and where are we going?

Dental caries is often referred to as an infectious disease, which means different things to different people. Pediatric dentists may be tempted to liken caries to other childhood diseases they encounter yet treat caries from mostly a mechanical or surgical approach. On the other end of the spectrum are clinicians who view the oral cavity as a site teaming with bacteria and think that reducing the overall microbial mass using antimicrobial agents will somehow affect this infectious disease.

Identification of Streptococcus sanguinis with a PCR-generated species-specific DNA probe.

The objective of the present study was to design a PCR-generated DNA probe and determine the specificity of the probe for the identification of clinical isolates of Streptococcus sanguinis. To do this, we examined over 200 arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR) amplicon patterns obtained with DNA from clinical isolates of S. sanguinis.

Prevalence of dental caries in Sri Lankan aboriginal Veddha children.

Objective: To evaluate the cares status of Sri-Lankan Veddha children in relation to the traditional risk factors. Prevalence of dental caries is still high in certain populations, studies of which may shed additional light on the complex aetiology of caries.

Methods: Using the NIDR criteria for caries diagnosis, the Strip Mutans technique (Dentocult SM), and a questionnaire administered by a native speaker, 39 children between the ages of 2-17 years were examined in a cross-sectional study.

Characterization of maternal mutans streptococci transmission in an African American population.

In the current literature database, information on microbiological attributes to caries outcomes in African American populations is limited and scattered. Few reports have discussed MS infection and transmission from African American mothers to their children. During the past few years, the research group at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Jefferson County Pubic Health Department have done a series of extensive studies to systematically investigate the prevalence of MS colonization, the time of initial MS infection as defined as "the window of infectivity," the source of MS transmission as defined as "the fidelity of transmission, and the chemotherapeutic management of MS transmission and caries prevention.