In Children
In general, S. mutans is acquired in the oral cavity at the moment of tooth eruption. But S. mutans has been detected in the oral cavity of predentate children. This suggests that the eruption of teeth is not a necessary prerequisite. Thus, this species may not be confined to dental plaque. The adhesion, invasion, and persistence within the oral cells are considered the virulence mechanism of S. mutans to colonize and survive in the oral cavity in the absence of a tooth surface.
Read more about this topic: Streptococcus Mutans
Famous quotes containing the word children:
“There is nothing funny about Halloween. This sarcastic festival reflects, rather, an infernal demand for revenge by children on the adult world.”
—Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929)
“All parents occasionally have ambivalent feelings toward their children. We love our kids, but there are times when we don’t really like them, or at least we can’t stand what our children are doing. But most of us keep those feelings to ourselves, as if it’s dirty little secret. It doesn’t fit in with our images of what we should do and feel as parents.”
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)