Early establishment of oral hygiene in edentulous infants and its influence over the cariogenic microbiota

Abstract

The Pediatric Dentistry has been focusing on the prevention, considering the clinical challenges during the operative procedures in the early childhood, the costs that they represent to the Public Health System and the direct impact of dental caries in the quality of children's lives. The aim of this project is to evaluate if the oral hygiene of the dental cavity of edentulous infants influences: 1. the colonization of pathogenic microorganisms (Mutans streptococci, Lactobacilli and Candida spp); and 2. the adaptation of infants with the oral manipulation. For this aim, 36 edentulous infants, attending public daycare centers, aging 4-10 months will be submitted to clinical examinations and will be divided into two groups: experimental group (n = 18) - infants who will have their oral cavity cleaned (gauze + filtered water) once a day at home by their parents, as well as in the nursery; and control group (n = 18) - infants will not have their oral cavity cleaned, neither at the home care centers, nor at home. Oral samples will be collected for pathogenic microorganisms enumeration in specific media and using real time PCR in two moments: T0 - initial assessment of the oral cavity and T1 - 30 days after cleaning, or not, the infants oral cavity. The facial expression of the infants during the oral examination at T0 and T1 will be assessed by validated scale. The frequency of sugar exposure, especially those consumed in the baby bottle, will be assessed by a diet chart. The babies will be monitored monthly until the upper incisors eruption. Then, the methodology above will be performed again. The data will be evaluated by descriptive statistics, t-test and logistic regression (± = 5%). The results will guide the implementation of preventive strategies targeting good oral health conditions in the early childhood. (AU)