Abstract
This study was conducted with the caries activity test (Cariostat®) focussing on lactobacilli as well as mutans streptococci in 68 children (mean age 4 years 4 months) selected from patients at the pediatric private dental clinic in Okayama, Japan. The plaque samples were taken from the approximal surfaces between the first and second upper primary molars using dental floss and put into the Cariostat media. All of the samples were collected and cultured in selective media for mutans streptococci (MS), streptococci and lactobacilli(LB). Colonies were enumerated and identified using biochemical tests. The results were as follows.
1) A significant positive correlation was found between the Cariostat score at 24 hours and 48 hours and the MS count of the Cariostat medium.
2) A significant positive correlation was found between the Cariostat score at 24 hours and 48 hours and the SM levels of Cariostat medium.
3) A significant positive correlation was found between the Cariostat score at 24 hours and 48 hours and the lactobacilli count of the Cariostat medium.
4) Some of the samples were classified into two groups, one of them with a high Cariostat score at 24 and 48 hours and the other with a low Cariostat score at 24 and 48 hours, for the purpose of assessing the predictive ability of the Cariostat test at 24 hours and 48 hours for microbial counts.
The sensitivity and specificity were 0.80,0.91, respectively, for quantity of the MS counts; 0.90,0.84, for number of the SM levels; and 0.50,0.74 for the quantity of the lactobacilli counts.
