The role of Streptococcus mutans group and salivary immunoglobulins in etiology of early childhood caries

Abstract

Dental caries is a bacterial infective disease modified by carbohydrates from food. Early childhood caries is a special type of primary teeth caries in infants and toddlers. Appearance of early childhood caries (ECC) is related to mistakes in nutrition of infants, but the mechanism of beginning and progression of this disease is very complex. To understand etiology of caries, it is necessary to understand ecology of oral environment and to determine which factors are responsible for conversion of non-pathogenic microorganisms of the oral cavity into pathogenic. Among host factors, salivary immunoglobulin (sIgA) constitutes the main specific immune defense mechanism in saliva and may play an important role in the oral homeostasis. Basic role of salivary immunoglobulins is in control of bacterial oral flora and constitution of balance relationship between oral bacteria and organism as whole.

Keywords

• early childhood caries
• clinical description
• etiology
• Streptococcus mutans group
• Salivary immunoglobulins