Occurrence of periodontal bacteria in healthy children: a 2-year longitudinal study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the occurrence of specific periodontal bacteria in children and adolescents.


METHODS
Ten putative periodontal bacteria were longitudinally examined in plaque and saliva samples from 119 periodontally healthy children (2-15 years old) using a polymerase chain reaction method.


RESULTS
Capnocytophaga ochracea, C. sputigena, and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans were frequently found in saliva, and tended to persist in saliva for the remainder of the study, whereas Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Prevotella intermedia were rarely detected. P. nigrescens was more frequently detected in plaque and its prevalence increased with age. Eikenella corrodens and Campylobacter rectus were sometimes detected in both plaque and saliva, while Tannerella forsythensis was occasionally detected in saliva.


CONCLUSIONS
A. actinomycetemcomitans, C. ochracea, C. sputigena, P. nigrescens, C. rectus, and E. corrodens are common members of the oral microbial flora of healthy children, whereas P. gingivalis, P. intermedia, and T. denticola appear to be transient organisms.
Ooshima
Takashi
T
Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Osaka University, Graduate School of Dentistry, Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, Japan. ooshima@dent.osaka-u.ac.jp
Nishiyama
Naoko
N
Hou
Benxiang
B
Tamura
Kiyoko
K
Amano
Atsuo
A
Kusumoto
Aki
A
Kimura
Shigenobu
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D044883:Campylobacter rectus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002206:Capnocytophaga / Q000145:classification; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology; D016124:Eikenella corrodens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006089:Gram-Negative Anaerobic Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D010519:Periodontium / Q000382:microbiology*; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018713:Prevotella intermedia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D045242:Prevotella nigrescens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology; D014208:Treponema / Q000302:isolation & purification