Dental Plaque Microbiota in Caries-free and Caries-active Children

Dental caries is a polymicrobial infection originally thought to be caused by Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli. However, unprecedented developments in modern molecular techniques have demonstrated that several microbial species are associated with the disease in addition to streptococci and lactobacilli. Dental caries initiation and progression is a dynamic process in which demineralization of the tooth structure, as a result of acid production from acidogenic bacteria (due to carbohydrate metabolism) is being counteracted by the remineralization of the tooth surface by strong alkali production by certain bacteria in the dental biofilm. The aim of the present study is to identify the different microbiota in the oral biofilm using new laboratory techniques as well as the levels of salivary proteins in caries-free compared with caries active Arab children.