DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjds.2026.v13i07.003

Pages: 119-131

Dental caries is the most prevalent chronic oral disease in childhood, and dental biofilm accumulation and maturity are considered major risk factors for its development. Objective: To determine the association between dental caries and the accumulation of acidogenic biofilm identified using GC Tri Plaque ID Gel®. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a statistically determined sample of 60 children aged 3–12 years attending the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic of the Division of Postgraduate Studies and Research (DEPeI), Faculty of Dentistry, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), for their first dental visit. Participants were selected according to predefined inclusion criteria. Sociodemographic data and information on current and past caries experience were collected using the dmft and DMFT indices. Acidogenic biofilm accumulation was assessed using GC Tri Plaque ID Gel® and quantified with the O'Leary Plaque Control Record. Results: A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the dmft index and the O'Leary Plaque Control Record (p = 0.003). In contrast, no statistically significant correlation was observed between the DMFT index and the O'Leary index (p = 0.380). Conclusions: No overall association was found between dental caries and acidogenic biofilm accumulation in the study population. However, when analyses were performed separately by age group, significant associations were observed in specific subgroups, suggesting that the relationship between acidogenic biofilm and dental caries may vary according to age.