[The local immunity of the oral cavity in dental caries]

Functional activity of local immunity with regard to dental caries in children is liable to appreciable individual fluctuations which depend on sex, age, and season. In children aged 4 to 5 no association between the titer of antibodies to cariogenic Streptococcus and number of carious lesions was observed, whereas in those aged 9 to 19 these parameters were in inverse relationship. In children aged 11-12 and 14-16 this association is inverse. Regression analysis of nonspecific and specific characteristics of local immunity of the oral cavity in children aged under 12 suffering from caries revealed functional insufficiency of the mechanisms regulating the local immunity, which disappears after fluoroprophylaxis. Test system for screening of mutant Streptococcus cannot be recommended for wide use to detect subjects sensitive to caries, because it has certain limitations as regards the age of examinees.