Journal of dental research最新文献

{"title":"Long-Term Associations between Water Fluoridation and Adult Dental Caries.","authors":"J Cronin, S Moore, N Woods, H Whelton, M Harding","doi":"10.1177/00220345261442955","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00220345261442955","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dental caries in permanent teeth affects over 2 billion individuals globally. Despite declining rates among children, its cumulative impact throughout adulthood remains a challenge. The World Health Organization advocates integrating community water fluoridation (CWF) into health strategies, recognising its role in caries prevention. Recent reviews highlight the need for research examining long-term associations between CWF exposure and dental caries. The island of Ireland provides a natural comparison, as the Republic of Ireland (ROI) has fluoridated public water supplies since 1964, while Northern Ireland (NI) has not implemented CWF. This study examines associations between CWF exposure and dental caries experience in adults with near-lifetime exposure to CWF and assesses whether associations differ across tooth surfaces. Epidemiological, demographic, and sociological data collected from adults in a previous survey were analysed. Caries experience was assessed using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (D_3CMFT) and tooth surface (D_3CMFS) indices. The primary analysis estimated associations between region (as a proxy for long-term CWF exposure) and caries experience. Negative binomial regression models, appropriate for overdispersed count data, estimated incidence rate ratios for explanatory variables, including CWF exposure, in relation to dental caries experience. Adults in the ROI exhibited significantly lower caries experience than those in NI. In adjusted analyses, individuals in the ROI had 10.6% and 15.6% lower D_3CMFT and D_3CMFS scores, respectively. The largest difference was observed on approximal surfaces (18.6%), followed by smooth (14.9%) and occlusal surfaces (11.9%). These findings support an association between long-term CWF exposure and reduced dental caries experience in adulthood. The results provide additional life-course evidence using clinical measures of disease and contribute to the ongoing evaluation of population-level fluoride policies. Alongside contemporary research, these findings may inform public health decision-making regarding CWF and its role in improving oral health outcomes in adult populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":94075,"journal":{"name":"Journal of dental research","volume":" ","pages":"220345261442955"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148038698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustained-Release RANKL Microneedles for Safe Orthodontic Acceleration.","authors":"W Qu, C Zhan, Q Dai, J Yan, C McGrath, B Han, Z Ye, Y Lin","doi":"10.1177/00220345261446540","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00220345261446540","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Prolonged orthodontic treatment is associated with adverse effects, yet safely and efficiently accelerating orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) remains a clinical challenge. Microneedles (MNs) have emerged as a promising minimally invasive platform for localized drug delivery, offering advantages in patient compliance, controlled release, and reduced systemic side effects. In this study, we developed a detachable, hierarchical-release MN patch integrating mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) within a supramolecular CMC-MPP⊂CB[8] hydrogel for the sustained, localized delivery of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) to accelerate OTM. The resulting MSN@CMC-MPP⊂CB[8] MN patches exhibited excellent biocompatibility and sufficient mechanical strength for gingival penetration. In vitro, MSN encapsulation significantly attenuated the initial burst release, providing sustained RANKL delivery while preserving its bioactivity to induce robust osteoclastogenesis in RAW 264.7 cells. In a rat OTM model, RANKL-loaded MSN MN patches accelerated tooth movement and enhanced alveolar bone remodeling comparably to direct RANKL injection. Crucially, the MN delivery demonstrated significantly less root resorption than direct RANKL injection, indicating better safety through localized and controlled delivery. This minimally invasive MN platform, enabling sustained biomolecule release, represents a significant advancement for safely enhancing orthodontic treatment efficiency.</p>","PeriodicalId":94075,"journal":{"name":"Journal of dental research","volume":" ","pages":"220345261446540"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148037753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mineralization/Nano-deposition Boosts Adhesive Infiltration via Dehydration.","authors":"Q Zhong, C Shu, M Pan, J Xu, Q Luo, X Li","doi":"10.1177/00220345261442125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00220345261442125","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Preadhesion mineralization and in situ nano-deposition improving dentin bonding durability are currently explained by divergent paradigms: the former is attributed to collagen strengthening and protease fossilization, while the latter is known for the release of interface-confined water. This study challenges this dichotomy by hypothesizing that preadhesion mineralization fundamentally acts as a dehydration strategy. Two bonding strategies were formulated: a polyacrylic acid-stabilized amorphous calcium fluoride (PAA-ACF) preadhesion mineralization and in situ ACF nano-deposition. Cryo-transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed collagen binding by ACF nanoparticles within 30 s, whereas scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and TEM showed that PAA‑ACF-mediated intrafibrillar mineralization on etched dentin began within 30 min and reached completion by 3 h. The PAA-ACF 3-h mineralization group showed approximately twice the surface roughness and elastic modulus of the phosphoric acid (PA) and ACF 30-s deposition groups, as measured by atomic force microscopy, whereas its gelatinase activity (assessed by zymography) was substantially lower, only about one-fifth and one-third of the levels in the PA and ACF 30-s groups, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, water absorption, and thermogravimetric analysis confirmed that both strategies effectively released the interface-confined water. Notably, both the nano-deposition and mineralization groups displayed similarly low proteolytic activity in resin-dentin interfaces. After 30,000 thermal cycles, the micro-tensile bond strength of the 3-h group was statistically comparable to that of the ACF 30-s group and exceeded that of conventional PA wet-bonding. Pearson correlation analyses revealed that bonding strength correlated not with mechanical properties or protease activity of preadhered dentin but with the extent of dehydration, which facilitated infiltration of the hydrophobic adhesive monomer (Bis-GMA), as validated by Nile red tracing and micro-Raman analysis. In summary, both strategies enhance adhesive infiltration by releasing the interface-confined water, forming a defect-low hybrid layer. This finding unifies the understanding of dentin bond durability improvement under a common dehydration-based mechanism.</p>","PeriodicalId":94075,"journal":{"name":"Journal of dental research","volume":" ","pages":"220345261442125"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148038714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"PTHrP Overexpression in Periosteum Promotes Alveolar Bone Formation.","authors":"Y Chen, B Zhang, B Li, Y Wu, J Zhong, Y Li, R Wang, W Guo, Y Fan, Y Li","doi":"10.1177/00220345261443475","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00220345261443475","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Alveolar bone regions with low innate thickness are prone to dehiscence, potentially causing harmful gingival recession. In situ alveolar bone thickening via local bioagent administration has recently emerged as a promising research area. Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), encoded by the <i>Pthlh</i> gene, plays a pivotal role in skeletal development and bone remodeling. In this study, we developed a recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vector overexpressing <i>Pthlh</i> (rAAV9-<i>Pthlh</i>). Using a split-mouth design, we administered rAAV9-<i>Pthlh</i> via a single submucosal injection into the right maxillary buccal gingiva of rats. Micro-computed tomography scans, both in vivo and ex vivo, revealed a significant increase in alveolar bone thickness on the PTHLH sides 6 wk post-transfection. This enhanced alveolar bone formation was accompanied by marked periosteal thickening, with elevated expression of PTHrP, parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R), OCN, and COL1A1. RNA sequencing of the buccal bone tissue showed upregulation of osteogenesis-related pathways along with increased mitophagy activity. Immunofluorescence confirmed enhanced colocalization of mitochondrial and lysosomal markers in the PTHLH group, primarily in the periosteum. Overexpressing <i>Pthlh</i> in primary rat periosteal stem cells via lentiviral transduction promoted cell proliferation and migration and elevated expression of COL1A1, as well as mitophagy markers BNIP3 and LC3-II. These effects were mitigated by Mdivi-1, an inhibitor of mitochondrial fission, suggesting potential involvement of mitophagy-dependent mitochondrial homeostasis maintenance. Finally, we established a rat model of repeated maxillary expansion and validated the effects of prophylactic rAAV9-<i>Pthlh</i> injection to protect against alveolar crest loss in this scenario. In conclusion, local rAAV9-<i>Pthlh</i> injection enhances in situ alveolar bone formation, holding potential for preventing dehiscence in aging or following orthodontic interventions. Additionally, overexpression of PTHrP in the alveolar periosteum has reiterated its well-documented role in expanding the pool of chondroskeletal progenitors, a process vital for the development of long bones and the mandibular condyle.</p>","PeriodicalId":94075,"journal":{"name":"Journal of dental research","volume":" ","pages":"220345261443475"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148037780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deep Learning Enhances Failure Mode Analysis in Dental Adhesion Studies.","authors":"B Cournault, L Vedrenne, T Roman, V Moyaux, H Jmal, O Etienne","doi":"10.1177/00220345261437724","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00220345261437724","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Failure mode analysis after shear bond strength testing is essential for evaluating adhesive performance yet remains highly subjective when relying solely on optical microscopy. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a convolutional neural network (CNN) for automated failure mode classification after shear bond strength using optical microscopy images, trained on ground truth derived from focus variation profilometry supported by scanning electron microscopy. A dataset of 434 fractured interfaces from shear bond strength tests on human teeth was labeled with optical profilometry validated by scanning electron microscopy. Optical microscopy images were acquired at 100× magnification. A CNN was trained exclusively on optical images to classify failure modes and compared with expert human observers. Classification performance was assessed per the weighted F1 score. The CNN achieved a mean ± SD of 0.893 ± 0.032 across 20 folds. Individual expert observers obtained F1 scores of 0.895, 0.911, and 0.824. When aggregated into a consensus reference, expert agreement reached an F1 score of 0.914. Misclassifications predominantly involved specimens with failure mode proportions close to the predefined threshold separating mixed from predominantly adhesive failures. A CNN trained on profilometry-based ground truth achieved expert-level performance in classifying failure modes from optical microscopy images. This automated approach reduces operator-dependent variability and offers a scalable objective alternative to visual classification, representing a significant advance toward standardizing failure mode analysis in dental adhesion research.</p>","PeriodicalId":94075,"journal":{"name":"Journal of dental research","volume":" ","pages":"220345261437724"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147984820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Oral Health-Related Quality of Life and Social Engagement: Gender Differences.","authors":"P Sung, Y Zhang, M Kang, S H Kang","doi":"10.1177/00220345261438375","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00220345261438375","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Growing evidence supports the interdependence between oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and formal social engagement (FSE) in later life. However, the causal direction of this relationship and potential gender differences therein remain underexplored. This study, informed by social causation and health selection perspectives within a social determinants of health framework, examines gender-specific patterns in the reciprocal relationship between OHRQoL and FSE among older adults in South Korea. A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model was applied to 3-wave panel data (2018, 2020, 2022) from 6,106 Korean adults aged ≥55 y. OHRQoL was assessed by the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index, validated for the Korean population. FSE was measured by the frequency of participation in structured organizational activities. The analysis identified significant bidirectional associations between OHRQoL and FSE at the within-person level, with distinct gender-specific patterns. Among men, better-than-usual OHRQoL predicted subsequent FSE, but the reverse path was not significant (health selection only). Among women, significant bidirectional associations were observed (social causation and health selection). These findings suggest gender-tailored interventions: alleviating oral health barriers to facilitate social reengagement for both genders, while leveraging social engagement to enhance OHRQoL specifically for women.</p>","PeriodicalId":94075,"journal":{"name":"Journal of dental research","volume":" ","pages":"220345261438375"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147848005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New Speed-Sintered CaO-Zirconia for Strong, Tough, Translucent Restorations.","authors":"A Vettorel, B V Meerbeek, J Vleugels, F Zhang","doi":"10.1177/00220345261435597","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00220345261435597","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The demand for rapid, reliable, and esthetic ceramic restorations continues to drive innovation in dental materials and chairside manufacturing technology. However, conventional yttria-stabilized zirconia presents an inherent trade-off between mechanical and optical properties, with moderate fracture toughness ≤5 MPa·m^1/2. This study investigates the feasibility of chairside speed-sintering of a 4.5 mol% CaO-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (4.5Ca-TZP), focusing on its microstructure, mechanical reliability, translucency, and aging resistance. Nano-sized 4.5Ca-TZP powders were compacted and speed-sintered within 60 min at 1,250 °C to 1,350 °C. Four sintering groups were evaluated (<i>n</i> = 20/group for density; <i>n</i> = 1 for grain size; <i>n</i> = 10 for hardness; <i>n</i> = 3 for Rietveld refinement; <i>n</i> = 5 for fracture toughness, translucency, and aging; <i>n</i> = 30 for biaxial strength and Weibull analysis) with statistical differences set at α = 0.05. Speed-sintering gave rise to fully dense ceramics (≥99% relative density) with a homogeneous, fine microstructure (<200 nm) and negligible monoclinic content (≤2 vol%). The ceramics demonstrated excellent mechanical reliability, exhibiting a characteristic strength of ≥1.1 GPa and a Weibull modulus ≥11. Hardness slightly decreased with increasing temperature, whereas translucency reached its maximum (≈22) at 1,250 °C. Indentation testing revealed the absence of radial cracks in specimens sintered above 1,300 °C. No tetragonal-to-monoclinic transformation occurred after 20 h of hydrothermal aging at 134 °C, demonstrating aging resistance. Compared with conventionally sintered 4.5Ca-TZP, speed-sintered ceramics showed comparable translucency and strength with enhanced mechanical reliability but significantly lower fracture toughness of >5 MPa·m^1/2. Overall, this work demonstrates that 4.5Ca-TZP can be speed-sintered to achieve fully dense zirconia with performance exceeding that of conventional 3Y-TZP, providing a tougher alternative zirconia restoration. A computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing-milled crown fabricated as a proof of concept showed isotropic shrinkage, supporting its potential for chairside application, while further investigation of long-term resistance, large-scale manufacturing, and dimension limitations is required to confirm clinical applicability.</p>","PeriodicalId":94075,"journal":{"name":"Journal of dental research","volume":" ","pages":"220345261435597"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147825053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dental Service Use during the 30 Years before Type 2 Diabetes Onset.","authors":"E Raittio, F V Bitencourt, V Baelum, R Lopez","doi":"10.1177/00220345261432661","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00220345261432661","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although the association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and oral disease has been widely investigated, little is known about long-term dental care patterns before T2DM diagnosis. This study therefore described dental service utilization up to 30 y prior to the incidence of a T2DM, compared with age- and sex-matched controls. This matched cohort study used nationwide Danish registry data on individuals born between 1950 and 1970 who maintained permanent residency from 1990 to 2021. For each person with incident T2DM in 2021, 4 age- and sex-matched controls were selected. Incident T2DM was identified based on the purchases of glucose-lowering medication or a hospital diagnosis. Dental service utilization included receipt of any dental care, periodontal, endodontic, restorative, and extraction treatments. Time trends were analyzed using logistic and Poisson regression models. Among 1,231,846 eligible individuals, 10,205 had incident T2DM in 2021 and were matched to 40,820 controls. The incident T2DM population was less likely to receive dental care in a calendar year than the controls and had 2.4 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.2 to 2.6) fewer years with a dental visit in the years preceding the diagnosis. The individuals with incident T2DM were more likely to have received periodontal (risk ratio: 1.08, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.12) and endodontic treatments (risk ratio: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.11 to 1.17), and they had received more extractions (rate ratio: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.29 to 1.36) and slightly more restorative treatments (rate ratio: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.04) during a calendar year over the period preceding the T2DM diagnosis than did the controls. More than 30 y prior to diagnosis, individuals who developed T2DM were less likely to attend dental care, but when they did attend, they underwent more complex and invasive procedures. These findings support a common risk factor approach to prevent T2DM and oral diseases at the clinical, health system, and policy levels.</p>","PeriodicalId":94075,"journal":{"name":"Journal of dental research","volume":" ","pages":"220345261432661"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147825102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Response to Letter to the Editor: \"Early Childhood Exposures to Fluorides and Cognitive Neurodevelopment: A Population-Based Longitudinal Study\".","authors":"L G Do, A Sawyer, A J Spencer, S Leary, J K Kuring, A Jones, T Le, C E Reece, D H Ha","doi":"10.1177/00220345251390898","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00220345251390898","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":94075,"journal":{"name":"Journal of dental research","volume":" ","pages":"278"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145794925","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Birth Cohort Study Identifies <i>Candida albicans</i> as a Risk Factor for Dental Caries.","authors":"N Alkhars, S Manning, N Al Jallad, Y Zeng, T T Wu, C Fogarty, M Mendoza, E van Wijngaarden, D T Kopycka-Kedzierawski, R Billings, K Fiscella, H Koo, J Xiao","doi":"10.1177/00220345251340040","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00220345251340040","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Candida albicans</i> has been implicated as a potential cariogenic microorganism, yet no prospective longitudinal studies have examined its role in severe early childhood caries (S-ECC). This study aimed to evaluate the association between oral <i>C. albicans</i> and the onset of S-ECC in a longitudinal setting. This prospective birth cohort study (2018 to 2023) enrolled 186 low-income pregnant women in their third trimester in Western New York, United States. Overall, 160 eligible infants born to these women were followed from birth to 2 y at 7 time points. Oral samples were collected to assess <i>Candida</i> species (<i>C. albicans</i>, <i>Candida krusei</i>, and <i>Candida glabrata</i>) and <i>Streptococcus mutans</i>. The primary outcome was the onset of S-ECC. Two-step LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator)-penalized logistic regression models were developed to identify predictive factors for S-ECC from 234 covariates grouped by their proximal association with S-ECC: infant oral microorganisms, biological-environmental factors, and maternal characteristics. Logistic regression was used to validate the association between <i>C. albicans</i> and S-ECC. Among the 118 children who completed the study, 28% developed S-ECC. The racial background of the cohort was 57% Black, 21% White, and 22% other. Oral <i>C. albicans</i> colonized in 12% of infants at 1 wk, peaking at 57% by 18 mo. Salivary <i>C. albicans</i> was associated with a 4.47-fold increased risk for S-ECC (odds ratio [OR]; 95% CI, 1.28 to 15.58; <i>P</i> = 0.02), in addition to other risk factors, including plaque score (OR, 5.19; 95% CI, 2.10 to 12.83) and salivary <i>S. mutans</i> (OR, 9.74; 95% CI, 2.27 to 41.79). <i>C. albicans</i> demonstrated strong time sensitivity in predicting S-ECC as early as 1 mo, contrasting with <i>S. mutans</i>, which exhibited predictive ability after 1 y. Oral <i>C. albicans</i> could serve as a novel biological marker for predicting ECC risk in infancy, shining a light on opportunities to develop innovative caries-predictive and preventive strategies targeting fungal contributions in pediatric care settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":94075,"journal":{"name":"Journal of dental research","volume":" ","pages":"1470-1478"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12757439/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144510066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}