Peters M C, Tallman J A, Braun T M, Jacobson J J
Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences and Endodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, 1100 N University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2010 Dec;11(6):274-8. doi: 10.1007/BF03262762.
To determine the clinical effect of a simple herbal caries-prevention protocol aimed at reduction of Streptococcus mutans (SM) in young children in a pre-school setting.
Proof-of-principle pilot study.
To prove the concept this pilot study delivered a clinical intervention using sugar-free lollipops containing liquorice root extract. Regimen: Supervised herbal lollipops, twice daily for 3 weeks. Species-specific monoclonal antibody testing of saliva provided SM counts. Children were grouped in high, medium and low caries-risk using baseline SM-levels as risk-indicator. Bacterial numbers at baseline, during intervention, and for 9 weeks post-intervention were compared.
SM levels were analysed using GEE modelling.
High-risk children showed the steepest early decrease in mean log-SM (P<.001). At end of a follow-up period, the log-SM decrease moved the high-risk group down to moderate-risk level. High-risk children showed a decrease in fitted mean SM% not seen in other groups (P<.001). The decrease reached a nadir around 22-days post-intervention. Twice-daily use of herbal lollipop significantly reduced both number and relative percent of SM in high-risk children. SM numbers were reduced for 22 days after the last lollipop, stabilized and then began to rebound.
A potential for simple effective caries-prevention for high-risk children has been demonstrated. Encouraging results warrant randomised clinical trials (RCT) of liquorice root in herbal lollipops or alternative modes of delivery.
确定一种简单的草药防龋方案在幼儿园环境中降低幼儿变形链球菌（SM）的临床效果。
原理验证性试点研究。
为证明该概念，本试点研究采用含甘草根提取物的无糖棒棒糖进行临床干预。方案：在监督下每天两次食用草药棒棒糖，持续3周。通过唾液的种特异性单克隆抗体检测提供SM计数。以基线SM水平作为风险指标，将儿童分为高、中、低龋风险组。比较基线、干预期间以及干预后9周的细菌数量。
使用广义估计方程（GEE）模型分析SM水平。
高风险儿童的平均对数SM早期下降最为显著（P<0.001）。在随访期结束时，对数SM的下降使高风险组降至中度风险水平。高风险儿童的拟合平均SM%下降幅度在其他组中未见（P<0.001）。下降在干预后约22天达到最低点。每天两次使用草药棒棒糖可显著降低高风险儿童的SM数量和相对百分比。在最后一次食用棒棒糖后，SM数量减少了22天，然后稳定下来，随后开始反弹。
已证明对高风险儿童进行简单有效的防龋具有潜力。令人鼓舞的结果值得对草药棒棒糖中的甘草根或其他给药方式进行随机临床试验（RCT）。
