Correlation between dental caries experience and mutans streptococci counts using saliva and plaque as microbial risk indicators in 3-8 year old children. A cross Sectional study

Objectives: Determination of the relative amounts of mutans streptococcus in both saliva and plaque and to study its correlation with dental caries in children. Study Design: The study comprised of 60 children aged 3-8 years divided into 2 groups (30 children in each): Group A- Children with more than 4 carious teeth and Group B- Children without caries. Saliva and plaque was collected from children of both the groups with the help of Dentocult SM strip test kit (Orion Diagnostic). Following incubation, mutans streptococcus scores (from 0 to 3) in each individual was evaluated and compared between both the groups. Results: On comparing the two groups, mean ± SD of saliva score and plaque score was 2.40 ± 0.675 and 2.40 ± 0.621 respectively in group A, whereas it was 0.60 ± 0.498 and 0.83 ± 0.531 in children of group B showing a significant correlation ( p = < 0.001) between mutans streptococci scores in both saliva and plaque and dental caries experience. Conclusions: There is a direct and strong co-relation between the salivary and plaque mutans streptococcus counts and caries activity in children aged 3-8 years

Beyond the Hoax: A Response to Emily A. Schultz

I am grateful to the editors of Reviews in Anthropology for giving me the opportunity to respond to Emily Schultz’s review (2010) of my book Beyond the Hoax: Science, Philosophy and Culture (2008). I shall begin by briefly correcting several of Schultz’s misrepresentations of my ideas. I shall then endeavor to address the intellectually interesting issues that she raises