THE EFFECT OF CHLORHEXIDINE VARNISH ON SALIVARY MUTANS STREPTOCOCCAL LEVELS IN CARIES ACTIVE PEDIATRIC PATI NTS

Abstract

Dental caries continues to be a major problem in dentistry, even thougldental caries prevalence has declined worldwide in the past few years, this microbial infection of the calcified tissues of the teeth still affects most children.(!)

Dental caries is a multifactorial disease in which there is an interplay of the host, the microflora and the substrate. In addition to a fourth factor which is time.<'>

A variety of microflora have been associated with canes actiVity. Mutans streptococci (MS) are considered to be one of the most important bacteria engaged in the process of dental caries.(2)

In the primary and permanent dentitions of children two general patterns of caries can be found; enamel defect associated lesions and smooth surface lesions. Defect associated lesions, that is, caries of the pit and fissures or caries of enamel hypoplastic areas are the result of anatomic defects that foster bacterial entrapment. Acid, produced by bacterial species such as Mutans streptococci and Lactobacillus (LB) is considered the chief cause of tooth demineralization. Smooth surface caries is generally considered to represent a predominant infection of a tooth site with the bacteria, Mutans streptococci.