One-year bacterial colonization patterns of Staphylococcus aureus and other bacteria at implants and adjacent teeth.
OBJECTIVE
(i) To assess the pattern of early bacterial colonization on titanium oral implants after installation, at 12 weeks and at 12 months, (ii) to compare the microbiota at submucosal implant sites and adjacent subgingival tooth sites and (iii) to assess whether or not early colonization was predictive of 12-month colonization patterns.


METHODS
Submucosal/subgingival plaque samples from 17 titanium oral implants and adjacent teeth were analyzed by checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization 30 min, 12 weeks and 12 months after implant installation.


RESULTS
At 12 months, none of the inserted implants had been lost or presented with signs of peri-implantitis. The distribution of sites at implants and teeth with bleeding on probing varied between 2% and 11%. Probing pocket depths < or =3 mm were found at 75% of implant sites. At 12 months, the sum of the bacterial counts of 40 species was statistically significantly higher at tooth compared with implant sites (mean difference: 34.4 x 10(5), 95% confidence interval -0.4 to 69.4, P<0.05). At 12 months, higher individual bacterial counts at tooth sites were found for 7/40 species compared with implant sites. Detection or lack of detection of Staphylococcus aureus at implant sites at 12 weeks resulted in the highest positive (e.g. 80%) and negative (e.g. 90%) predictive values, respectively. Between 12 weeks and 12 months, the prevalence of Tannerella forsythia increased statistically significantly at implant sites (P<0.05). Lack of detection of Porphyromonas gingivalis at 12 weeks yielded a negative predictive value of 93.1% of this microorganism being undetectable at implant sites at 12 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Within the limits of this study, the findings showed (i) a few differences in the prevalence of bacterial species between implant and adjacent tooth sites at 12 months and (ii) high positive and negative predictive values for selected bacterial species.
Salvi
Giovanni E
GE
Department of Periodontology and Fixed Prosthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland.
Fürst
Mirjam M
MM
Lang
Niklaus P
NP
Persson
G Rutger
GR
D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous; D015921:Dental Implants / Q000382:microbiology*; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology*; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000382:microbiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D015921:Dental Implants