title: Quantitative bacteriology of acute dento-alveolar abscesses.
abstract: A qualitative and quantitative bacteriological study was performed on pus specimens obtained by needle aspiration of 50 acute dento-alveolar abscesses. Most samples contained a mixture of species (average 3.3); 20 (40%) of the abscesses contained anaerobes alone, 3 (6%) contained facultative anaerobes only and the remaining 27 (54%) contained mixtures of both types of bacteria, with anaerobes predominating. In total, 166 bacterial strains were isolated, 75% of which were strictly anaerobic; the most common species were Peptococcus spp, Bacteroides oralis and B. melaninogenicus. Among facultative anaerobes, Streptococcus milleri was particularly common. The mean concentration of bacteria in each abscess was 10(6.9 +/- 0.2). The mean concentration of anaerobic bacteria was 10(6.2 +/- 0.1) and of facultatively anaerobic bacteria 10(5.7 +/- 0.2).
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: MacFarlane
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: McGowan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001442:Bacteroides Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D010460:Peptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010482:Periapical Abscess / Q000382:microbiology*; D001443:Prevotella melaninogenica / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification*