ArticleBMC oral health2018
Are the mutans streptococci still considered relevant to understanding the microbial etiology of dental caries?
Article in BMC oral health, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 62 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
62 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 116 citations in OpenAlex.
- Oral microbiota in head and neck cancer patients during radiotherapy: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of sugar-free polyol chewing gums on gingival inflammation: a systematic review.Clinical oral investigations · 2022Pooled it
- Comparative evaluation of cranberry extract and sodium fluoride as mouth rinses on S. mutans counts in children: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry · 2024Trial
- Therapeutic Potential of Cannabidiol in Dysbiosis-Related Oral Biofilm Diseases: Antibiofilm, Antivirulence and Host Response Evidence.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Comparative characterization reveals conserved and divergent ecological traits of oral corynebacteria.Microbiology spectrum · 2026Article
- Relationship between oral microbiota and chronic kidney disease: facts and perspectives.Journal of oral microbiology · 2026Review
- Funoran as a marine anti-biofilm polysaccharide for caries prevention: biological basis, current evidence, and translational challenges.Frontiers in microbiology · 2026Review
- Impact of bacterial exposure on the mechanical behavior of nickel-titanium open-coil springs.Biomaterial investigations in dentistry · 2026Article
- Saliva-Activated Nanohybrid Aggregates Are Rapid-Acting Agglutination Agents with Potent Anticaries Activity and Limited Toxicity.ACS pharmacology & translational science · 2025Article
- Comparative evaluation of oral microbiologic profile in children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus versus healthy controls and its relation to oral health status.BMC oral health · 2025Article
- Cariogenic Microbiota and Emerging Antibacterial Materials to Combat Dental Caries: A Literature Review.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Characterization of MreCD inJournal of oral microbiology · 2025Article
- Fluoride and gallein regulate polyphosphate accumulation in dental caries-associatedMicrobiology (Reading, England) · 2024Article
- Effect of a Novel Food Rich in Miraculin on the Oral Microbiome of Malnourished Oncologic Patients with Dysgeusia.Cancers · 2024Article
- Optimization of Flavonoid Extraction fromMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Ancient Genomes From Bronze Age Remains Reveal Deep Diversity and Recent Adaptive Episodes for Human Oral Pathobionts.Molecular biology and evolution · 2024Article
- The oral microbiome: diversity, biogeography and human health.Nature reviews. Microbiology · 2024Review
- Metagenomic analysis of Mesolithic chewed pitch reveals poor oral health among stone age individuals.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Oral biofilm composition and phenotype in caries-active and caries-free children.Frontiers in oral health · 2024Article
- Comparison of biofilm models for producing artificial active white spot lesions.Journal of applied oral science : revista FOB · 2024Article
2 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The mutans streptococci were once the primary focus of research dedicated to understanding the etiology of dental caries. That focus has now shifted to an emphasis on the ecological balances and complexities within the entirety of the plaque microbiome. Within that framework there are considerable differences of opinion regarding the importance and relative contributions of the mutans streptococci. This article explores the basis for the various viewpoints, the limitations of current knowledge, and the confounders that make it difficult to arrive at a consensus.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.