S.mutans in maternal saliva
Streptococcus mutans was detected in 38 of 156 infants harbouring 6–8 primary incisor teeth. The salivary level of Strep. mutans was determined for each of the 156 mothers of the infant subjects. The difference in the distribution of the salivary levels of Strep. mutans within the maternal populations of infected versus non-infected infants was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). In addition, the frequency of infant infection (0.58) was approximately nine times greater when maternal salivary levels of the organism exceeded 105 colony-forming units (CFU) per ml relative to the frequency of infant infection (0.06) observed when maternal salivary reservoirs were less than or equal to 103 CFU/ml
