Quantitative comparisons of potentially cariogenic microorganisms cultured from noncarious and carious root and coronal tooth surfaces

Abstract

Potentially cariogenic microorganisms cultured from noncarious and carious root and coronal (enamel) surfaces were quantitatively compared in patients 22 to 84 years of age (mean, 52 years). We collected 150 plaque specimens from 26 in situ teeth with initial root lesions and from 25 extracted teeth with advanced root lesions. The frequencies of isolation of Streptococcus mutans, Actinomyces viscosus, and Lactobacillus spp. were, respectively, 94, 72, and 51% at the noncarious root site; 98, 71, and 54% at the root lesion; 84, 61, and 44% at the noncarious enamel site; and 100, 66, and 90% at the enamel lesion. The streptococci made up the largest mean proportion of the total anaerobic cultivable microflora, ranging from 31.2% at the noncarious enamel site to 37.6% at the root lesion, while S. mutans varied between 18% at the noncarious enamel and root surfaces and approximately 24% at both the enamel and root lesions. The proportion of actinomyces ranged from 12.3% at the root lesion to 23.6% at the noncarious root site, while A. viscosus varied from 7.8% at the root lesion to 15.1% at the noncarious root site. The largest mean proportion of lactobacilli (4.2%) was recovered at the enamel lesion site. Proportions of Candida spp. made up less than 0.1% at all sites. Proportions of microorganisms did not differ significantly between noncarious enamel and root sites, but the noncarious coronal and root sites had higher (P less than 0.05) proportions of actinomyces than did the root lesion. Also, enamel lesions had a greater (P less than 0.05) percentage of Lactobacillus spp. than did root lesions. The number of streptococci recovered from the root lesion was greater (P less than 0.01) than the number of actinomyces at the same site. S. mutans was recovered from initial root lesions in greater numbers (P less than 0.001) than were actinomyces and lactobacilli. The number of S. mutans recovered at the initial root lesions was greater (P less than 0.01) than that recovered from the advanced root lesions.

Microbial flora associated with presence of root surface caries in periodontally treated patients

“…In this respect the findings confirm the data reported by ELLEN et al (18) who observed no difference in proportions of A. viscosus between carious and caries-free root surface sites. BROWN et al (13) found significantly higher proportions of Actinomyces at non-carious root sites than at the root lesion sites in subjects with extensive caries actimty, an obser\fation that supports the small tendency of a similar difference in the subjects with most new lesions in the present study.…”

“…Root surface caries in adult populations has process (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15). In an 8-yr longitudinal been described in a number of epidemiologic study in periodontally treated patients with studies (1-6).…”

“…paring the prevalence of mutans streptococci In studies on root surface caries both lacto-recovered from human non-carious and caribacilli and the mutans grotip of streptococci, ous root surfaces in the same patients have the principal cause of human coronal caries indicated an association with root surface (review see 9), have been related to the caries caries (12,13). In longitudinal studies the detection of motans streptococci and laetobacilli has been the best predictor for subsequent root caries activity (10,12).…”

“…Actinomyces has also been considered a genus which could be involved in root caries and some sttidies in experimental animals have suggested this association (16,17). However, no sttidies reporting the presence of Actinomyces in man have demonstrated such a relationship (13,15,18).…”

The usefulness of caries frequency, depth, and location in determining cariogenicity and past subsistence: A test on early and later agriculturalists from the Peruvian coast

“…(2) If the frequency of carbohydrate intake and its mode of preparation influence the rate of dental decay (Rugg-Gunn and Hackett, 1993;Sakashita et al, 1997;Lingström et al, 2000), agricultural development will be accompanied by an increase in caries depth. Finally, (3) if dental plaque micro-flora from fissures and smooth surfaces are influenced by different oral ecological conditions and if carbohydrate-rich food adheres better to smooth surfaces (Frostell et al, 1967;Brown et al, 1986;Seif, 1997), agricultural development is compatible with a change from occlusal to extra-occlusal caries location.…”