title: Periodontitis associated bacteria in supragingival plaque of dental hygienists: stability of carrier state and clinical development.
abstract: The purpose of this study was the clinical and microbiological re-examination of dental hygienists, who, 30 months before, had shown remarkably high supragingival levels of periodontitis-associated micro-organisms. Interdental plaque was collected from the same molar sites and investigated by the same immunofluorescence assay with taxa-specific monoclonal antibodies as at the initial examination. On average, the 15 re-examined subjects showed slightly increased plaque levels but unchanged bleeding on probing scores (0.3-1.4). Pocket formation was restricted to a single subject. Prevotella intermedia/P. nigrescens and Peptostreptococcus micros were present in every plaque sample. Prevalences of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Bacteroides forsythus and Campylobacter rectus were again between 20-40%, but some fluctuation within subjects was noted. The data confirm supragingival plaque as a natural habitat for periodontitis-associated bacteria in periodontially healthy persons, and indicate that colonization with A. actinomycetemcomitans, B. forsythus or C. rectus is mostly stable in spite of better than average personal plaque control.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oral Microbiology and General Immunology, University of Zurich, Switzerland. gmuer@zzmk.unizh.ch
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gmür
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Marinello
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guggenheim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000254:growth & development; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000254:growth & development; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000254:growth & development; D002353:Carrier State; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003756:Dental Hygienists; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005881:Gingiva / Q000382:microbiology; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D010462:Peptostreptococcus / Q000254:growth & development; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000382:microbiology; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D018720:Prevotella / Q000254:growth & development; D018713:Prevotella intermedia / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal