How and when do humans first become infected with the bacteria that lead to dental caries? According to Kathy Phipps, PhD, children become permanently colonized with mutans streptococci between the middle of the second year and the end of the third year of life, during a so-called “window of infectivity.” Despite a long-held belief that mutans streptococci require teeth for persistent oral colonization, recent studies have demonstrated that the bacteria can colonize the mouths of predentate in-fants, particularly in the furrows of the tongue.
The primary sources of caries-causing bacteria in infants are their mothers, Dr. Phipps wrote. She added that it has also been shown that a child’s infection is related to maternal dose. The higher the level of maternal mutans streptococcal infection means the higher the percentage of children who become infected.
The nature of dental caries as a transmissible bacterial infection often seems to be ignored by many dental professionals, who routinely address the manifestation of infection-carious lesions but neglect to follow up by “breaking the chain of infection,” she says. “By shifting our focus to the bacterial nature of the disease, we will be able to more effectively prevent and treat dental caries.”
(Source: UDA Action, Utah Dental Association, May/June 2004)
