pH and bacterial profile of dental plaque in children and adults of a low caries population

Abstract Objective This study compares pH and microbiological profile of dental plaque in children and adults of a low caries population. Material and methods Thirty-nine children, 12–14 years of age and 45 adults between 20 and 39 years of age in 5 Karen villages of the Tak province, Northern Thailand were examined for plaque, calculus, caries (DMFT) and pH measurements in resting plaque and after a sucrose rinse. Information on dietary and oral hygiene habits was obtained through interviews using a fixed questionnaire. Microbiological profile of plaque samples was analyzed with DNA–DNA checkerboard technique. Results Mean DMFT was 0.77 ± 1.56 and 87% of the adults and 67% of the children were caries free ( p p Conclusion The study indicates that the Karen children and adults has a plaque physiology and microbiology predominating by low acidogenic anaerobes, which in addition to the low sucrose intake explains the low caries prevalence in this population.