Salivary levels of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguinis in early childhood caries: An in vivo study

Background: The oral microflora primarily involved in early childhood caries (ECC) is Streptococcus mutans while Streptococcus sanguinis is related to healthy caries-free mouth. The antagonism between the two at biological level is well recognized. Aim: This study aims to compare the pre- and posttreatment salivary levels of S. mutans and S. sanguinis in ECC. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 40 eligible participants. Clinical examination was done, and decayed teeth were recorded. Pre- and Posttreatment saliva sample was taken, processed and bacterial counts were compared. Results: A statistically significant posttreatment reduction was found in S. mutans counts; however, a significant posttreatment elevation was seen in S. sanguinis counts ( P 0.001) using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. A significant weak positive correlation was found between S. mutans and decayed teeth in the mouth ( r = 0.366 and P = 0.028) using Spearman's correlation. No significant gender association was found between pre- and posttreatment S. mutans and S. sanguinis counts ( P = 0.908) and also between decayed teeth ( P = 0.321) using Mann–Whitney U-test. Conclusion: Complete dental treatment procedure showed significant reduction and elevation in S. mutans and S. sanguinis counts, respectively. A positive association was observed between S. mutans and ECC while S. sanguinis were positively associated with posttreatment oral environment.