title: The habitat of periodontopathic micro-organisms.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the significance of oral mucosal surfaces as a habitat of periodontopathic micro-organisms. For this investigation, 7 young adults were selected for an experimental gingivitis study. At the start of the experiment, bacterial samples were taken by means of a sterile swab from 4 oral mucosal surfaces: the buccal mucosa, the vestibular fold, the dorsum of the tongue and a tonsil. All individuals were asked to abstain from oral hygiene procedures in 1 quadrant of the mouth for a period of 23 days. At the end of this period, plaque samples were taken from 4 tooth surfaces by means of a sterile periodontal probe just coronal from the gingival margin. The study included evaluation of spirochetes and motile organisms by means of phase-contrast microscopy and of black-pigmented Bacteroides, Fusobacterium, Actinomyces, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Capnocytophaga by means of cultural studies. Results showed a relationship between the prevalence of motile organisms and black-pigmented Bacteroides in samples from both the mucosal surfaces and the 23-day-old plaque. In addition, a relationship was found between the presence of motile organisms on the dorsum of the tongue at the start of the experiment and their prevalence in the 23-day-old plaque. It was suggested that the dorsum of the tongue may function as a nidus for periodontopathic micro-organisms.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Van der Velden
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Van Winkelhoff
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Graaff
mesh_terms: D000190:Actinomyces / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D004463:Ecology; D005673:Fusobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D013144:Spirochaetales / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014059:Tongue / Q000382:microbiology