The natural history of Streptococcus mutans was studied in occlusal fissures of 238 right and 235 left lower mandibular first molars in 279 children, initially aged 6–7, over a 2-year period. S. mutans infection was endemic in this group. Results showed that the levels of S. mutans were fairly stable – an initially high level of infection tended to stay high, and vice versa. High levels of infection were more associated with subsequent development of caries. None of the 21 teeth with nondetectable levels of S. mutans developed caries, though a number of teeth with high levels of S. mutans remained sound. S. sanguis appeared to have no independent influence on whether caries developed or
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