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Risk Factors for Early Childhood Caries Based on Identification of Veillonella spp. Using RT-PCR

Objective:  To identify the occurrence of  Veillonella  spp. in children using real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and to determine its role as a risk factor for ECC in children aged 2–3 years.  Material and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted and samples from 87 children aged 2–3 years, who lived in selected villages in the Bandung City area, Indonesia, were collected. Examination for dental caries was performed using standard checks for decay, missing, and filled surfaces (dfms), and saliva samples were taken. Microbiological examination was performed using RT-PCR with primers consisting of one primary set for  Veillonella  spp. and one universal primary set for 16S rDNA. We performed statistical testing using the Mann Whitney rank-sum test .  Results: A total of 87 children were sampled, and an ECC prevalence of 71.3% was found, with a mean dmfs of 7.1 (± 9.1). The proportion of  Veillonella  spp. in caries-free children was 2.13 ± 2.30, while in children with ECC, it was 3.29 ± 6.83 .  Conclusion:  The proportion of  Veillonella  spp. in children with ECC was higher than in caries-free children; therefore,  Veillonella  spp. may be a risk factor for ECC.