Lactobacilli from the dentin and saliva in children.

Lactobacilli were detected simultaneously in saliva, dental plaque and carious dentinal plaque in 66 children aged 5 to 15 years. The dentinal plaque samples numbered 15. It was found that Lactobacilli were present in 100% of the dentin samples, 70% of the saliva samples and 29% of the plaque samples. The DMF index and dentinal lactobacilli are systematically linked. The DMF index is weakly linked to salivary and independent of plaque lactobacilli. It is concluded that (1) dentin is responsible for the salivary hypercontamination and (2) the Lactobacillus Count could hardly be a predictive test.