Evaluation of a Rapid-Immunoassay Kit for S. mutans Using Brushing-Plaque Samples from University Students and School Children

Abstract

The usefulness of a rapid-immunoassay kit for S. mutans (Tokuyama Dental company-made kit, the TD kit), which was constructed by using an anti-S. nuttans polyclonal antibody, was examined using brushing-plaque samples from university students and school children.
The evaluation levels by the TD kit using the plaque samples from 84 university students and 20school children correlated significantly with S. mutans counts determined by the spiral cultivation method. The spearman's correlation coefficient of the two plaque samples were 0.86(p<0.001)and 0.89(p<0.001), respectively. In addition, sensitivitys, p ecificitya, g reament and kappa value of the TD kit were 0.98,0.95,92%, and 0.90, respectively. Based on these results, it was confirmed that the brushing-plaque the TD kit system is superior to the stimulated-saliva the TD kit system, and suggested that this measuring system would be a useful tool for diagnosing the risk of caries.