05 Aug Bacteria Causing Dental Caries Transmitted From Family and Friends

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. David Macintyre

Stephanie S. Momeni, MS, MBA
Doctoral Candidate, Department of Biology
DART Trainee, Department of Pediatric Dentistry & IOHR
UAB School of Dentistry
Birmingham, Alabama 35294-0007

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: This study was a small part of a large scale of S. mutans in a group of high-caries risk children and their household family members in Perry County, Alabama, USA. Overall dental caries is a dietary and infectious disease that we seek to understand better. We found only 34 rep-PCR genotypes for over 13,000 bacterial isolates from over 594 individual subjects. With so much commonality we wanted to determine if any conclusions could be made about transmission.

The key findings are:
• Children having multiple S. mutans genotypes were 2.3 times more likely to have dental caries.
• Analysis for transmission performed from two perspectives (by child and by genotype) indicating 63% of children shared at least 1 genotype with their mother, but 72% of children had at least 1 genotype not shared with any household family members.
• Child-to-child transmission of some genotypes is highly probable.
• About 1/3 of isolates observed were transient, and may confound the search for strains associated with tooth decay.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: The more we understand about the cause of tooth decay, the better we can design preventive strategies such as antimicrobial treatments and vaccine approaches.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: Since this study identified that approximate 1/3 of the genotypes we observed in children that did not match any household members were transient, we need to determine if the strains that become established are shared with any family members. We also want to do analysis on looking child by child for comparisons with their family members.

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Response: These findings will be published in the Journal of Microbiological Methods in September. There is a ShareLink at (until Sept 14) http://authors.elsevier.com/a/1TROZc8NxRHC4
and ASM has a press release video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byAWgKgI1Uk

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:

ASM Abstract:

Sharing of cavity-causing bacteria may not be only from mothers to children

Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.

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Last Updated on August 5, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD