Profiling microorganisms in whole saliva of children with and without dental caries.

These study trends observed suggest that microbial markers in saliva may serve as predictors of oral health and thus aid in diagnosis and treatments for prevention of caries. Consistent with competitive interactions, we also observed negative associations between Streptococcus pneumoniae and other streptococcal species, Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis, Candida and Neisseria, and Saccharomyces and Streptococcus.