Mothers are known to be the first to infect their
children with cariogenic bacteria, suggesting that their
DMFS (number of decayed, missing, and filled surfaces
of permanent teeth) might be a good indicator of caries
experience in their children.High levels of S. mutans
in mothers increase their children’s chance of developing
dental caries by 11 times. A reduction in the number of S.
mutans in the saliva of highly infected mothers is appropriate
in order to avoid colonization by these microorganisms of
their children’s oral cavity. This is an important aspect
that should be assessed, since the earlier the child is
contaminated by cariogenic microorganisms, the higher
the risk of early caries development.Furthermore, the
parents’ previous caries experience has been found to have
a negative impact on their child’s oral health.