The production of bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances, mutacins, by mutans streptococci varies among isolates. To find if the degree of mutacin activity of an isolate was related to its transmission between mother and her child, 19 mothers and their 18-month- to 3-year-old children were sampled for their oral mutans streptococci. In addition, the stability of mutacin activity was studied wit...

Cover photo: Mutans streptococci on mitis salivarius bacitracin agar (MSB). To the left, colony representing Streptococcus sobrinus. In the middle and to the right, colonies representing Streptococcus mutans.

Dental caries occurrence is caused by the colonization of oral microorganisms and accumulation of extracellular polysaccharides synthesized by Streptococcus mutans with the synergistic influence of Lactobacillus spp. bacteria. The aim of this study was to determine ex vivo the antibacterial properties of ethanol extract of propolis (EEP), collected in Poland, against the main cariogenic bacteri...

Objectives: The effects of trehalose on cariogenesis by mutans streptococci were investigated. Methods: Inhibited effect of trehalose on water-insoluble glucan (WIG) synthesis from sucrose by glucosyltransferase (GTase) of mutans streptococci was assayed. The acid fermentability of trehalose by mutans streptococci was determined by the measurements of pH, and amounts of lactic acid production. ...

Streptococcus mutans is specifically suppressed by intensive treatment with chlorhexidine gel, but the time for recolonization and the effect on other oral bacteria are not totally clear. In this study, recolonization of mutans streptococci was evaluated in nine healthy adult volunteers, who were highly colonized with this microorganism. Stimulated saliva was collected before (baseline) and at ...

PURPOSE This study was designed to determine whether the long-term use of fluoride mouthrinse affects the salivary levels of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli. METHODS The subjects consisted of 414 school children aged 7, 10, and 12 yrs. Among these subjects, 243 children had received fluoride mouthrinse since 5 years of age at nursery schools, and comprised the "mouthrinse group." The rem...

The ability of Streptococcus salivarius strain TOVE-R to inhibit the ecological emergence of virulent representatives of the most prevalent human mutans streptococci on the teeth of specific pathogen-free Osborne-Mendel rats was studied. Rats which were infected by TOVE-R, or either S. mutans 10449S or S. sobrinus 6715-13WT, or uninfected were transiently co-caged so as to allow natural fecal t...

INTRODUCTION Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus are the main causative organisms for enamel demineralization during orthodontic treatment. In this study, we analyzed the prevalence of cariogenic streptococci adhering to incisor brackets. METHODS Four incisor brackets from both the maxilla and the mandible were collected from 80 patients at debonding, immediately after the visible...

This study investigated the inhibitory effect of probiotic Enterococcus faecium WB2000 on biofilm formation by cariogenic streptococci. The ability of E. faecium WB2000 and JCM5804 and Enterococcus faecalis JCM5803 to inhibit biofilm formation by seven laboratory oral streptococcal strains and 13 clinical mutans streptococcal strains was assayed. The Enterococcal strains inhibited biofilm forma...

The caries status of two hundred and eighteen 12 year old school children from four schools of Karachi and Lahore was determined through a WHO pathfinder survey. In addition, the levels of mutans streptococci in the sample were estimated in order to define the proportion of children with high and low mutans levels. A mean DMFT of 1.82 (1.67-0.03-0.12), for decayed and filled teeth respectively;...