PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Marsha A Voelker
AU  - Kimberly S Bray
AU  - Sally A Elledge
AU  - Julie Sutton
AU  - JoAnna M Scott
TI  - Effectiveness of an Antigen-Specific <em>Streptococcus mutans</em> Chairside Test as Compared to a Culture-Based <em>S. mutans</em> Test
DP  - 2018 Feb 01
TA  - American Dental Hygienists Association
PG  - 51--56
VI  - 92
IP  - 1
4099  - http://jdh.adha.org/content/92/1/51.short
4100  - http://jdh.adha.org/content/92/1/51.full
SO  - J Dent Hyg2018 Feb 01; 92
AB  - Purpose: To compare the effectiveness of an antigen-specific Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) chairside test to a culture based S. mutans test.Methods: Fifty-three patients receiving dental hygiene care at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Dentistry were enrolled in the study. Stimulated saliva was collected from the patients and utilized for both bacteria tests. The antigen-specific test was compared to the culture-based bacteria test and to a caries risk assessment measuring sensitivity and specificity.Results: The majority of participants were male (53%) with high caries risk (60%). The culture based test results were primarily negative (62%); while the antigen-specific test had more positives (76%). The sensitivity and specificity comparing the antigen-specific test to the culture based test was high (88%, 95% CI = (78%, 97%) and low (25%, 95% CI = (13%, 37%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity comparing the antigen-specific test to caries risk was high (83%, 95% CI = (72%, 93%) and low (38%, 95% CI = (24%, 51%) respectively.Conclusions: While the sensitivity of the antigen-specific test was high for both the culture-based test and caries risk, the specificity was low for both. These results suggest that the antigen-specific test tends to give a higher proportion of false positive results.