Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 4, 2026

Oral Biofilm Sampling for Microbiome Analysis in Healthy Children
Published on: December 31, 2017
Oral health in adolescents from a small French town
M Weissenbach1, N Chau, L Benamghar
1Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, Nancy, France.
Abstract:
In France, caries are more prevalent in rural areas than in large cities. This study analyzed the relationship between number of oral health indices and some known risk factors (toothbrushing, sugar consumption, saliva components) and sociodemographic factors in adolescents from a small town. The sample included 112 children aged 12-14 in the north-east of France. School marks was found to be better linked with dental caries indices than the socio-occupational category of parents: gingival index (GI), DMFS, DMFT and caries severity (CS) significantly increased with decreasing school marks; oral plaque was related to socio-occupational of parents. The analysis using the regression method showed that the variance explained by the various factors studied was modest (between 23 and 30%) for GI, initial caries sites (IS), DS, DMFS, DMFT and CS, and was small for plaque (5%) and calculus (3%). This would be due in part to the wide dispersion of these indices. The sex had a non-significant regression coefficient for all oral health indices investigated. For GI, only mutans streptococci (MS) and plaque had a significant regression coefficient. Calculus was explained by any factor considered. Only MS had a significant part in plaque. IS was explained by MS, toothbrushing and age. For DS, only toothbrushing, MS and sweet drinks during meals had a significant part. DMFS and DMFT were explained only by MS and age. CS was explained by MS, age, salivary buffer pH, salivary flow rate, and toothbrushing.
Related Concept Videos
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
Assessment of the Mouth
Mouth Inspection
The inspection begins with visually examining the mouth for symmetry, color, and size.
The Oral Microbiota
Development of the Oral Microbiota

