Periodontal pathogens in erupting third molars of periodontally healthy subjects.
The presence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia and Tannerella forsythensis in bacteriologic samples of 5-7-mm deep mandibular third-molar pericoronal pockets was analysed by polymerase chain reaction, to test the hypothesis that these sites would harbour the bacteria. The patients were periodontally healthy 20-year-old Finnish male conscripts. Sixteen had acute pericoronitis, 28 chronic pericoronitis, and 15 were symptom-free controls. A. actinomycetemcomitans was detected in only 7% of the samples from chronic pericoronitis cases, whereas P. gingivalis was positive in 20% of the symptom-free versus 69% (P = 0.018) of the acute and 57% (P = 0.044) of the chronic cases. The percentages for P. intermedia were 93, 94 and 93%, and for T. forsythensis 47, 63 and 57%, respectively. These results confirm that, apart from A. actinomycetemcomitans, periodontopathogens are common in third-molar sites in periodontally healthy individuals.
Rajasuo
A
A
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Mikkeli Central Hospital, Mikkeli, Finland. ari.rajasuo@esshp.fi
Sihvonen
O J
OJ
Peltola
M
M
Meurman
J H
JH
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000382:microbiology*; D010497:Pericoronitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000382:microbiology*; D010519:Periodontium / Q000382:microbiology; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018713:Prevotella intermedia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012016:Reference Values; D014078:Tooth Eruption / Q000502:physiology