Anne C. R.
Tanner, Principal Investigator
Dr.
Tanner is a Senior Member of the Department of Molecular Genetics at the Forsyth Institute and is the principal investigator of Project 4, "Oral Microbiota of Children with Dental Disparities".
One important question is at what stage do caries-associated and periodontal pathogens become established in the mouth. Early detection of pathogenic species may allow us to predict risk for later disease and can help in designing early intervention strategies. Our previous studies examined infants and young children, and primary caregivers, for the presence of dental pathogens. The study detected periodontal species in addition to the caries-associated streptococcus species S. mutans and S. sobrinus, in young children and their adult caregivers. Higher detection frequencies of species from the tongue compared to teeth suggest that the tongue may be transiently colonized before teeth in the development of the oral microbiota. Novel findings included identifying species in predentate infants that had previously been detected only in much older children or adults. Associations between species detected in children and their primary caregiver suggest that the entire oral biofilm may transfer and implant in young children.
Currently, Dr. Tanner's research team is engaged in comparing the oral bacteria in children with dental caries with caries-free children in a local Boston population with oral health disparities. This project is one of four major components of the NIDCR-funded Northeast Center for Research to Evaluate and Eliminate Dental Disparities (CREEDD) . In addition to furthering our understanding of dental caries and periodontal infections in children and adolescents, this project explores the utility of microbial diagnosis to aid identification of children at risk for dental infections. One particularly intriguing project incorporates detection of or risk of future dental caries in routine pediatric well-child visits. CREEDD complements Forsyth’s initiative in children’s health.
