ABSTRACT
Dental caries is an infectious and transmissible disease. The mutans streptococci (ms) are infectious agents most strongly associated with dental caries. infants acquire ms from their mothers and only after eruption of primary teeth. More recent studies indicate that ms colonize the mouth of pre dentate infants and that horizontal and vertical transmission occurs.
ACQUISITION
The mouth of a normal predentate infant contains only mucosal surfaces exposed to salivary fluid flow. (ms) could persist in such an environment by forming adherent colonies on mucosal surfaces or by living free in saliva by proliferation and multiplying at a rate that exceeds the washout rate caused by salivary fluid flow. The oral flora averages 2 to 4 divisions per day and swallowing occurs every few minutes. Due to this the bacteria cannot maintain themselves free in saliva by proliferation, but instead must become attached to an oral surface.
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VERTICAL TRANSMISSION
It is the transmission of microbes from caregivers to the child. The major reservoir from which infants acquire ms in their mothers. Mothers with dense salivary reservoirs of ms are at high risk of infecting their infants early in life. So we should focus on getting a dental check up done for the expecting mothers itself.
HORIZONTAL TRANSMISSION
It is the transmission of microbes between members of a group (eg : family members of a sililar age or students in a classroom ). Eg : the use of a day care centre or a nanny may provide another vector for acquisition of these organisms.
HOW TO AVOID THIS KIND OF TRANSMISSION
- Reduce the ms reservoir in the mother, siblings and the infant’s caretaker by eliminating the active dental lesions and using agents such as fluorides and chlorhexidine and professional cleaning.
- Alter saliva sharing activities, such as tasting food before feeding and sharing toothbrushes.
- Twice daily tooth brushing of the dentate infant with an appropriate amount of a fluoridated toothpaste as suggested by us.
- Avoid decay promopting feeding behaviour.
- Oral health evaluation of the infant by a dental professional should occur before the 1st birthday.
- Lift the lip of the dentate child to catch them early.
CONCLUSION
- Primary oral infection by ms may occur in predentate infants
- Infants may acquire ms via vertical and horizontal transmission.
- Improvements in prevention of dental caries may likely be realized through intervention strategies that focus on the natural history of this infectious disease.
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