Diet and caries-associated bacteria in severe early childhood caries

Frequent consumption of cariogenic foods and bacterial infection are risk factors for early childhood caries (ecc). this study hypothesized that a short diet survey focused on frequency of foods,categorized by putative cariogenicity,would differentiate severe ecc (s-ecc) from caries-free children. children's diets were obtained by survey and plaque bacteria detected by pcr from 72 s-ecc and 38 caries-free children. s-ecc children had higher scores for between-meal juice (p < 0.01),solid-retentive foods (p < 0.001),eating frequency (p < 0.005),and estimated food cariogenicity (p < 0.0001) than caries-free children. s-ecc children with lesion recurrence ate fewer putative caries-protective foods than children without new lesions. streptococcus mutans (p < 0.005),streptococcus sobrinus (p < 0.005),and bifidobacteria (p < 0.0001) were associated with s-ecc,and s. mutans with s. sobrinus was associated with lesion recurrence (p < 0.05). s. mutans-positive children had higher food cariogenicity scores. food frequency,putative cariogenicity,and s. mutans were associated with s-ecc individually and in combination. © 2010 international & american associations for dental research.