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Bacterial colonization during de novo plaque formation.
Per Ramberg1, Satoshi Sekino, Naciye Guzin Uzel
1Department of Periodontology, Institute of Odontology, Göteborg University, Sweden. ramberg@odontologi.gu.se
Journal of Clinical Periodontology
|February 6, 2004
Summary
Microbial changes during plaque formation show an initial dominance of Actinomyces species. Over four days without oral hygiene, total bacteria increase, with a rise in "orange complex" bacteria, indicating early disease-associated shifts.
Area of Science:
- Oral microbiology
- Dental plaque formation
- Periodontal health
Background:
- Dental plaque is a complex biofilm crucial to oral health.
- Understanding early microbial shifts is key to preventing gingival inflammation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate microbial community changes during initial dental plaque development.
- To identify specific bacterial taxa associated with early plaque formation in a healthy dentition.
Main Methods:
- Ten subjects underwent a 2-week preparatory phase with professional cleaning.
- Plaque accumulation was monitored for 4 days without oral hygiene.
- Plaque samples were analyzed using DNA-DNA hybridization and the Quigley and Hein Plaque Index (QHI).
Main Results:
- Mean QHI increased from 0 to 1.6 over 4 days.
- Total microbial counts rose from 140 x 10(5) to 210 x 10(5) organisms.
- Actinomyces species dominated initially, while Streptococcus, Capnocytophaga, Campylobacter, Fusobacteria, and Actinomyces actinomycetemcomitans increased significantly.
Conclusions:
- A healthy dentition initially shows a high proportion of Actinomyces species in plaque.
- Four days of no oral hygiene led to a modest increase in total bacteria and disease-associated taxa, including the "orange complex" species.