Isolation and identification of bacteria causing dental caries among the children in Brack Alshatti City

Abstract

There are many genus and species of bacteria that are naturally present in the human oral cavity which are called oral bacteria living in the mouth without causing any harm to the hard or soft tissues. However, by carelessness of oral and dental hygiene, it becomes a suitable environment for the growth and reproduction of bacteria, and therefore these bacteria may invade the teeth causing caries and other diseases. Due to high prevalence of caries among children especially infants, and subsequent resulting health problems such as caries of permanent teeth, this study aims to isolate and identify bacteria that cause dental caries among children in Brack Alshatti City. A total of 25swabs were taken from dental plaque. The samples were collected from children aged from 2 to 6 years attending the dental clinic at Brack General Hospital and Al-Sarah Dental Clinic. The samples were cultured on culture media immediately or within two hours of collection. The groups were divided by sex, age, presence of tooth decay, genus and species of bacteria. The results showed that children of 5years old were the most effected with tooth decay especially at posterior teeth. The results obtained showed that 60% of the children were females, and 40% of them were males. Moreover, the genus Streptococcus appeared in 24 isolates and with prevalence rate of 44%, which was the most common isolated bacteria. Gram-positive streptococcus strains are therefore mainly responsible for causing tooth caries among these children compared to other bacteria species found in the oral cavity.