Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026

Robust Ligature-Induced Model of Murine Periodontitis for the Evaluation of Oral Neutrophils
Published on: January 21, 2020
Do elderly edentulous patients with a history of periodontitis harbor periodontal pathogens?
Camila Borges Fernandes1, Davi Romeiro Aquino, Gilson Cesar Nobre Franco
1University of Taubaté, São Paulo, Brazil. camborges@yahoo.com.br
Objectives:
The presence of periodontal pathogens in the oral cavity may impact implant survival. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of Campylobacter rectus, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella intermedia, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, Eikenella corrodens, and Parvimonas micra in a specific elderly population with a history of periodontitis who have never worn dentures.
Material And Methods:
Thirty dentate subjects (mean age 61.7 +/- 7.05 years) and 30 edentulous subjects (mean age 65.8 +/- 8.05 years) were included in this cross-sectional study. Microbiological samples of cheek mucosa and the dorsum of the tongue were taken from all subjects. In addition, sulcus samples were taken from the dentate group. All samples were analysed using a bacterial DNA-specific polymerase chain reaction.
Results:
All the pathogens studied were detected in dentate and edentulous subjects. When cheek and tongue samples were combined, C. rectus, A. actinomycetemcomitans and E. corrodens presented with a similar prevalence in both groups, whereas the other species were more prevalent specifically in the dentate group (P<0.05). In dentate subjects, P. intermedia and T. denticola were present in higher frequencies in the cheek mucosa (26.67% and 66.67%, respectively), whereas P. gingivalis and T. forsythia were more prevalent in the tongue samples (26.67% and 56.67%, respectively).
Conclusions:
Periodontal pathogens may persist in the oral cavity of edentulous subjects who have had periodontal disease, even 1 year after the extraction of all teeth and in the absence of other hard surfaces in the mouth.
Related Concept Videos
The Oral Microbiota
Development of the Oral Microbiota
Colonisation of Pathogens
Microbiota of the Respiratory Tract
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
Microbiota of the Urogenital Tract
