Analysis of nutritional status and oral veillonella in caries-free and caries-affected preschool children in Manitoba
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Date
2022-05-18
Authors
Lee, Victor
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Abstract
Introduction: Early childhood caries (ECC) is a widespread, multifactorial disease. Dental
decay is a result of low-pH demineralization caused by acidogenic bacteria living in oral
biofilms. Nutrition is a key determinant of ECC, as these bacteria require fermentable
carbohydrates to grow. Veillonella are important bacteria that facilitate the activity of acidogenic
bacteria by removing excess lactate products. A majority of oral microbiome studies focus on
the importance of well-known cariogenic bacteria, such as Streptococcus mutans, while few
studies have characterized Veillonella in ECC. The purpose of this study was to gain a greater
understanding of the relationship between nutrition, oral Veillonella, and ECC.
Methods: A case-control study design was used. The nutritional profiles of 158 children (75
caries-free, 83 with ECC) from Manitoba were determined via NutriSTEP (Nutrition Screening
Tool for Every Preschooler and Toddler). Veillonella species were assessed using relative
abundance data from 16S rRNA sequencing of dental plaque samples. A multivariable logistic
regression model was used to estimate the association of ECC with NutriSTEP scores and
relative abundance of Veillonella.
Results: Caries-affected children tended to be older, established residents, Indigenous, live in
rural or remote areas, and have less-educated parents (p ≤ 0.05). Children with ECC had higher
total NutriSTEP scores (23.7 ± 6.8) than children without ECC (21.1 ± 6.6; p ≤ 0.05). Relative
abundance data revealed significantly higher levels of Veillonella dispar, Streptococcus mutans,
and Streptococcus salivarius in caries-affected children (p ≤ 0.05). Children with a high
abundance of Veillonella parvula (OR = 2.33; 95% CI: 1.10, 4.91) and greater nutritional
risk/NutriSTEP scores (OR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.14) were more likely to experience ECC
than children with insignificant levels of the bacteria and lower nutritional risk/NutriSTEP
scores.
Conclusions: Our findings reflect the importance of Veillonella dispar and Veillonella parvula
for ECC, and support a tentative association between oral Veillonella, nutrition, and dental
caries. Children with abundant oral Veillonella and greater nutritional risk may be more
susceptible to ECC. Future research including metagenomic and mechanistic studies are needed
to characterize the causative role of Veillonella in ECC.
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Keywords
early childhood caries, nutrition, veillonella, dental caries, early childhood oral health, NutriSTEP, oral microbiome, nutritional risk