An investigation on drug resistance of viridance group streptococci isolated from 3-12 years healthy individuals

Background : Nowadays, dental and oral infections are regarded as major threats to human health whose treatments are always prime concern of dental surgeons. Staphylococci, streptococci, actinomycetes and mycoplasma are the most common causative agents of such infections.

  The objective of this study was to investigate drug resistance of viridance group streptococci (VGS) isolated from healthy children between 3-12 years old versus common antibiotics utilized in dentistry. The findings of this study can help dentists using the antibiotic of choice in remedial practices as well as assessment of sensitivity or resistance of VGS.

  Materials and Method : In this cross sectional study saliva samples from of 213 healthy children aged between 3-12 years from their buccal surface of posterior teeth were collected and after culture. species were isolated. Next, drug sensitivity test was carried out by disc diffusion technique to find out sensitivity or resistance of VGS to penicillin, erythromycin, vancomycin, clindamycin, cephotaxim and cephteriaxon.

  Result : Our findings revealed that resistance of VGS to antibiotics including: clindamycin, penicillin, cephteriaxon, erythromycin, vancomycin and cephotaxim was 59.6%, 52.6%, 30.5%, 12.2%, 10.8% and 1.5% and sensitivity of VGS to such antibiotics was 19.7%, 29.6%, 23%, 13.4%, 4.5% and 29.6% respectively.

  Conclusion : The results showed widespread resistance of VGS against chosen antibiotics, this indicates considerable use of antibiotics in this region.Controlled use and prescription of different antibiotics as well as increasing people knowledge about misuse of antibiotics in order to decrease the drug resistance is important.