[The germ colonization of the oral cavity in small children with the nursing bottle syndrome].

46 infants, aged 23 to 77 months, presenting with the nursing bottle syndrome, were examined clinically [dmf(t)] and microbiologically. Saliva and carious tooth substance was analysed for the presence of Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacilli and Candida albicans, using in part commercial tests. For comparative reasons, a group of caries-free children, aged 37 to 77 months, was examined as well. Increased numbers of specific caries bacteria (mutans streptococci and lactobacilli) and of Candida albicans were found in saliva and in the carious material of children with diseased teeth. The results confirm that excessive drinking from nursing bottles over a period longer than the first 12 months of life does not only lead to problematic tooth decay and its consequences but also to pathological changes in the entire oral flora. The invasion of candida forces us to reconsider the development of caries in infants.