Streptococcus mutans, not detected?

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Abstract
The growth of Streptococcus mutans was followed for three years in 24 healthy 12-17 year-old children, who were selected for the study on the basis of undetectable levels of salivary S. mutans. The saliva samples were cultured by a dip-slide method based on mitis-salivarius agar supplemented with sucrose and bacitracin. At the final occasion, additional examination of plaque and saliva of 10 children using TSY20B agar was performed. During the 3-year study period, S. mutans was found in saliva samples from 15 children on one or more of the 4 test occasions, suggesting that most ''S. mutans negative individuals'' were those in whom S. mutans could not be temporarily detected. The additional examination of plaque did not increase the number of ''S. mutans-positive individuals''.