Microbiome Associated with Severe Caries in Canadian First Nations Children

Area of Science:

• Oral microbiology
• Pediatric dentistry
• Indigenous health

Background:

• Young Indigenous children in North America experience higher rates of severe early childhood caries (S-ECC).
• The distinct etiology of S-ECC in this population warrants investigation.
• This is the first microbiome analysis of an Indigenous population concerning S-ECC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the caries-associated oral microbiome in Canadian First Nations children.
• To compare the plaque microbiome of children with S-ECC to caries-free children.
• To identify specific microbial differences linked to S-ECC in this population.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 30 First Nations children with S-ECC and 20 caries-free children in Winnipeg.
• Collected plaque samples for 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
• Analyzed microbial community composition using diversity measures and operational taxonomic units (OTUs).

Main Results:

• Children with S-ECC had lower household income, were more likely to live in First Nations communities, and were weaned later from bottles.
• Microbial communities did not differ in richness or diversity, but beta diversity clustered by caries status.
• Specific OTUs, including Veillonella HOT 780 and Porphyromonas HOT 284, were higher in the S-ECC group, while Streptococcus gordonii and S. sanguinis were higher in the caries-free group. Streptococcus mutans levels were extremely high in the S-ECC group.

Conclusions:

• First Nations children with S-ECC exhibit a significantly different plaque microbiome compared to caries-free children.
• The S-ECC microbiome is characterized by higher levels of known cariogenic bacteria.
• These findings underscore the need for targeted oral health interventions for Indigenous children.