Karies gigi pada anak merupakan masalah kesehatan penting yang diderita lebih dari 89,16% anak Indonesia.Tingginya konsumsi makanan manis dan rendahnya kebiasaan menyikat gigi pada anak meningkatkan resiko terjadinya karies. Pada periode gigi campur (7-11 tahun) tetiadi peningkatan karies gigi. Karies daiam rongga mulut memberikan lingkungan yang baik bagi pertumbuhan mikroorganisme tennasuk Candida. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui keragaman spesies dan jumlah koloni Candida da1am rongga mulut anak non karies dan karies pada usia 7-11 tahun. Untuk mengetahui hal tersebut telah dikumpulkan 112 sampel kumuran.Penentuan derajat karies dilakukan berdasarkan criteria WHO. Penentuan jumlah koloni dan keragaman spesies Candida dilakukan dengan menanam sampel pada agar sabouraud deslctrosa. agar kromogenik, agar staib, agar tajin dan uji asimilasi. Prevalensi karies penelitian ini sebesar 84,8 %, tetdiri atas karies ringan (41,1%), karles sedang (33,9%) dan karies berat (9 8%}, sisanya 15.2 % tanpa kartes. Selanjutnya, didapatkan prevalensi Candida dalam rongga mulut adalah 68,7%. Keragaman Candida pada anak non karies dan dengan karies didominasi oleh Candida albicans, diikuti Candida non C.albicans. Antara keragaman spesies dengan derajat karies tidak terdapat hubungan bennakaa (p?:0,05). Semakin tinggi derajat karies jumlah koloni Candida yang tllmbuh semakin banyak (p.::£0,05) namun jumlah koloni Candida menurun seiring dengan pertambahan usia (p:S0,05).

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Dental caries in children is a major public health problem. The prevalence of caries among children in Indonesia is around 89,16 %. The high preva1ence of caries is related to the high consumption of sugar and low prevalence of tooth brushing habit. The high prevalence of caries is also related with mixed dentistry period (7-11 years old). Dental caries accommodates the life of microorganisms including Candida. The aim of this study is to know the species variety of Candida in the oral cavity of children with caries and non caries in mixed dentistry period. Oral rinse from 112 children was collected and the type of caries was done based on WHO criteria. The species and its variety. colony forming unit, were detennined by plating the sampJes on Sabouraud dextrose agar and chromogenic media. The identification until species level was conducted by chromogenic media, and in continue with staib agar. rice cream-tween 80 and assimilation test {API AUX Bio Merieux: Prancis) if any doubtful result. The prevalence of caries in study is 84,8 o/o, consisted of light caries (41,1%), moderate caries (33,9%) and severe is 9,8%, while 15,2 % without caries. Moreover. the prevalence of Candida in the oral cavity is 68,7%.and the species identified mostly Candida albicans both in children with and without caries., followed by Candida non C. albicans. The relation between the variety of Candida species and the type of caries is not statistically significant (p?:0,05). The severe the caries the higher colony forming unit (p .05), but decreasing in older children of more than I0 years old (p,05).