Oral Flora of Children with "Nursing Bottle Caries"

Plaque from carious and sound tooth surfaces, as well as saliva from children with "nursing bottle caries," contained unusually high levels of Streptococcus mutans; the levels of Streptococcus sanguis in plaque on anterior teeth and Streptococcus salivarius in saliva were unusually low. Lactobacilli were detected in nearly all plaque samples. The findings are discussed in relation to the role of S. mutans and lactobacilli in the initiation of human dental caries and diet-plaque interactions.