Effect of Full-Mouth Rehabilitation on Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus Levels in Children with Severe Early Childhood Caries.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of full-mouth rehabilitation on the levels of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus in plaque samples of children suffering from severe early childhood caries using the quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method.<br/> Methods: A dental examination was performed to determine the decayed, missing, and filled primary teeth and surfaces (dmft and dmfs, respectively) in three- to five-year-old children using the World Health Organization's caries diagnostic criteria. Supragingival plaque samples were collected from all tooth surfaces with a sterile universal scaler at baseline and six months after full-mouth rehabilitation. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the mean values of dmft and dmfs scores and the mean values of S. mutans and S. sobrinus levels between the pre- and post-treatment period.<br/> Results: At six months, the mean relative quantification values of S. mutans and S. sobrinus showed significant reductions (P > 0.05) in the post-treatment samples but the mean dmft scores remained the same.<br/> Conclusion: Full-mouth rehabilitation is effective in reducing levels of S. mutans and S. sobrinus, thus diminishing the cariogenic challenge in the oral cavity.