title: Exploiting molecular methods to explore endodontic infections: Part 1--current molecular technologies for microbiological diagnosis.
abstract: Endodontic infections have been traditionally studied by culture-dependent methods. However, as with other areas of clinical microbiology, culture-based investigations are plagued by significant problems, including the probable involvement of viable but uncultivable micro-organisms with disease causation and inaccurate microbial identification. Innumerous molecular technologies have been used for microbiological diagnosis in clinical microbiology, but only recently some of these techniques have been applied in endodontic microbiology research. This paper intended to review the main molecular methods that have been used or have the potential to be used in the study of endodontic infections. Moreover, advantages and limitations of current molecular techniques when compared to conventional methods for microbial identification are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, Estácio de Sá University, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. siqueira@estacio.br
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.forename: I N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Rôças
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003790:Dental Pulp Necrosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D010485:Periapical Periodontitis / Q000382:microbiology*