IADR Abstract Archives

Streptococcus mutans septicaemia

Objective: Streptococcus mutans is a major cariogenic bacterium and part of normal oral microbiota. It is a member of the viridans group which is the most common cause of streptococcal sepsis and infective endocarditis. However, few cases of S. mutans septicaemia have been reported (Crawford & Russell J Med Microbiol 1983;16:263, Nakano et al. J Med Microbiol 2007;56:551). This study describes ten patient cases of S. mutans septicaemia diagnosed over a 5 year period at a University teaching hospital.

Method: Subjects (n = 12) with blood-culture verified S. mutans bacteraemia during years 2002-2007 were identified from the Helsinki University Central Hospital Microbiology Laboratory database and included in the study. Ten patients gave their consent and the same number of sex, age and social background matched controls were recruited. Data collected included medical and dental records, panoramic jaw x-rays before and after hospital admission, and telephone interviews during years 2006-2007.

Result: The ten patients (8 men, 2 women) with septicaemia had suffered more of childhood caries than controls ( 50% vs. 20%) and significantly more teeth had been extracted from them, respectively ( 70% vs. 10%, p<0.05). Apart from this dental history, however, no difference was found in panoramic x-ray oral health status between the cases and controls. No difference was either found in oral home care, in frequency of tooth brushing, dental flossing, or using interdental brushes. However, after the S. mutans sepsis episode the patients reported brushing their teeth more often than before: 10/10 vs. 7/10 patients, respectively, brushed their teeth daily.

Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that childhood caries and need for extractions may act as indicators of increased risk for serious medical complications including S. mutans sepsis later in life.

Pan European Region Meeting
2014 Pan European Region Meeting (Dubrovnik, Croatia)
Dubrovnik, Croatia
2014
160
Scientific Groups
  • Hotti, Sari  ( Institute of Dentistry, Helsinki, , Finland )
  • Meurman, Jukka  ( University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, , Finland )
  • Lemberg, Kim  ( Institute of Dentistry, Helsinki, , Finland )
  • Laine, Pekka  ( Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, , Finland )
  • Lindqvist, Christian  ( Institute of Dentistry, Helsinki, , Finland )
  • Rautemaa-richardson, Riina  ( University of Manchester and University Hospital of South Manchester, Manchester, , England )
    • Poster Session
    Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery II
    09/11/2014