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Updated: Dec 12, 2025
Oral Biofilm Sampling for Microbiome Analysis in Healthy Children
Published on: December 31, 2017
Comparison of oral micro-flora in caries active and caries free Indian children using culture techniques and PCR
Kalpana Bansal1, Rama Chaudhary2, Vijay P Mathur1
1Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Centre for Dental Education and Research, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Background And Aims:
Although Streptococcus mutans has been implicated as the major etiologic agent in the development of dental caries, however, this organism has not been found to be present in all children with caries. Thus it remains to be elucidated whether a single or specific consortium of bacteria is responsible for the caries process. The aim of this study is to evaluate the oral microflora of Indian children suffering from dental caries and to compare the same in children with no caries.
Methods:
The study was carried out on 67 out-patient 2-14 years old children who reported to the department of Paediatric Dentistry. Dental plaque samples from superficial and deep carious lesions and caries free surfaces in caries active children (n = 35) were collected using a sterile excavator in storage vials and subjected to various conventional and molecular microbial techniques. Caries free children (n = 32), who did not have any carious lesion served as controls. The data obtained was subjected to Pearson's Chi Square/Fischer's Exact tests to determine the statistical difference between the microflora of groups.
Results:
Main organisms isolated were: Streptococcal species mainly S anginosus, S salivarius, S gordonii: Lactobacilli spp; Coagulase negative Staphylococci, Staph epidermidis, Staph aureus. Other organisms such as Klebsiella spp, Acinetobacter, Enterococcus, E coli could also be found. There was a statistical difference in the frequency of isolation of non-mutans Streptococcal species (P = 0.008) and Lactobacilli species (P = 0.0001) in the two groups.
Conclusions:
The study suggests that caries activity in this population of children is associated with a diverse microbial flora without detectable S mutans. Main organisms associated with dental caries in this population are: Gram-positive cocci and bacilli mainly the non-mutans Streptococcus and Lactobacilli. Frequent consumption of sugar containing food promotes the presence and growth of cariogenic organisms.
