Interdental supragingival plaque-A natural habitat of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Bacteroides forsythus, Campylobacter rectus, and Prevotella nigrescens
The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that suspected periodontal pathogens form a minor component of the supragingival plaque of individuals without periodontal diseases. Twenty-one periodontally healthy dental hygiene students aged 19 to 36 years participated in the study. The subjects refrained from any form of interdental hygiene 14 days prior to examination. Plaque index and sulcular bleeding index were recorded. Interdental plaque was collected from the interdental space between the first and second molars of all four quadrants. Plaque samples were processed for indirect immunofluorescence and culture and studied for the presence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Bacteroides forsythus, Campylobacter rectus, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Prevotella nigrescens/intermedia.
Results revealed a plaque index of approximately 1. The sulcular bleeding index ranged between 0.55 and 1.47. P. intermedia/P. nigrescens occurred with the highest prevalence. They were detected in every sample investigated. Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans was observed in seven samples (33%). Serotypes a, b, and c each occurred with a prevalence of 14%, and serotype e was observed in only one sample. Porphyromonas gingivalis was found in only a single sample. The authors conclude that the results suggest that the investigated periodontal bacteria are not Hexogenous pathogens, ³but are amphibiotic, opportunistic microorganisms which may have a natural habitat in the supragingival plaque of the interproximal area of molars. |M.J.D.]
Gmur, R., and G. Guggenheim, J Dent Res, 73:1421, 1994