It was found that asthma, through its disease status and its pharmacotherapy, carries some risk factors including decreased salivary flow rate and pH for caries development. It was also demonstrated that the duration of medication and illness had significant influences on the risk of caries in asthmatics.

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Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of dental enamel defects, recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) and caries experience and to measure salivary flow rate, buffer capacity, saliva and plaque pH and salivary cariogenic microflora in patients with celiac disease (CD) compared to healthy subjects. Subjects and Methods: Thirty-five patients, aged 6-19 years, with a diagnosis of CD and 35 healthy children of the same age participated in the study. Enamel defects were diagnosed and classified using Aine's classification. The patients with RAS and dental caries were recorded using WHO criteria. The parents were interviewed about various oral health-related factors. Saliva samples were collected to measure the stimulated salivary flow rate, buffer capacity and pH values of saliva and plaque. Salivary mutans streptococci and lactobacilli were counted. Results: The enamel defects and RAS prevalence were statistically higher (40 and 37.1%, respectively) in the CD group, and the prevalence of salivary mutans streptococci (48 and 14%) and lactobacilli (51 and 34%) colonization was statistically lower (p = 0.012, p = 0.010) in the CD group; the DMFS and dfs values were similar in both groups. Conclusion: CD appeared to be associated with a significantly higher prevalence of developing enamel defects and RAS, but a lower prevalence of salivary mutans streptococci and lactobacilli colonization, and the diagnosis of these oral manifestations might be helpful for an early diagnosis of CD.

The aim of this study was to examine the changes in the cultivable microflora of carious dentin before and after atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) and investigate the inhibitory effect of chlorhexidine-gluconate-based cavity disinfectant in the microflora. Using a split mouth design, 35 primary molar pairs with class II carious lesions in 35 patients (mean age 7.31 ± 0.47 years) were selected. The total viable counts (TVC), Streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli were first measured in the center of the infected demineralized lesion and then from the hard dentine after caries removal by the ART technique. Chlorhexidine-gluconate (2%)-based cavity disinfectant was applied to one of the molar pairs and the other molar received no disinfectant treatment. Thereafter, all of the teeth were restored with glass ionomer cement (GIC). Cavities were reassessed after 6 months and again dentine samples were microbiologically investigated. Removal of carious dentine by ART significantly reduced TVC, S. mutans and lactobacilli. After 6 months, application of chlorhexidine exhibited a greater significant reduction in TVC (p = 0.013), and a significant reduction in S. mutans compared to the nondisinfected group (p < 0.001). A significant reduction in lactobacilli counts was observed in both groups after 6 months, but the difference between the disinfected and nondisinfected groups was not significant (p = 0.056). ART was found to be effective in reducing the cultivable microflora and chlorhexidine-gluconate-based cavity disinfectant might serve as a suitable additional agent in inhibiting the residual bacteria in the dentine.

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The aim of the study was to establish the colonization of Streptococcus mutans and to determine the possibility of intra-familial transmission in a group of Turkish children and their parents. A total of 56 children participated in the study together with their parents (20 fathers and 49 mothers). Saliva samples were collected from the individuals and cultivated on S. mutans selective TYCSB agar. The typical isolates of S. mutans were identified by using classical microbiological methods, as well as molecular typing of S. mutans clones which was performed by using AP PCR with OPA5 primer for the detection of transmission. The vertical transmission of salivary S. mutans was detected among 14 mother-father-child, 35 mother-child (one twins) and 6 father-child combinations. The homologies of strain types were recorded as 24% and 16.6% for mother-child and father-child combinations, respectively. A significant positive correlation (p<0.001) was found between the infected children and their parents with high S. mutans counts.

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The mothers or the fathers could be the source for the transmission of S. mutans to their children.