Middle ear infection in children and its association with dental caries

INTRODUCTION: Middle ear infection affects mostly infants and children, associated with elevated level of S. mutans, which increases the chances of developing caries. AIM: To evaluate the difference in level of Streptococcus mutans between normal children & children affected by middle ear infection. METHOD: This descriptive study was carried out on 120 children aged 5 years and younger. They were selected randomly from schools and medical hospitals. S. mutans was counted from saliva sample and a questionnaire was given to be filled by their parents about the feeding method, pattern and specific childhood illness. RESULT: Out of 120 children examined, 62 were boys and 58 were girls. Mean CFU in middle ear infection group was 5.60+9.53, whereas in children with no middle ear infection it was 1.70+3.34. Unpaired ‘t’ test revealed statistically significant difference among the two groups (p value = 0.001). CONCLUSION: S. mutans count was comparatively higher in children having middle ear infection rather than non-infected children, which may cause dental caries in the future.