Microbiota of Endodontically Infected Primary and Permanent Teeth

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Endodontics
• Genetics

Background:

• The endodontic microbiome in primary and permanent teeth during mixed dentition remains poorly understood.
• Root canal infections can originate from diverse bacterial communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the bacterial diversity in endodontically infected primary and permanent teeth.
• To utilize 16S rRNA gene sequencing and QIIME 2 for microbial analysis.

Main Methods:

• 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the V3-V4 hypervariable region was performed on samples from 15 primary and 15 permanent infected teeth.
• Next-generation sequencing and QIIME 2 bioinformatics pipeline were employed for data analysis.
• Statistical analysis was conducted using R software.

Main Results:

• Over 1.6 million reads and 2,237 operational taxonomic units were identified, spanning 14 phyla, 89 families, and 236 genera.
• Firmicutes was the predominant phylum in both tooth types.
• Bacteroides and Proteobacteria were more prevalent in primary teeth, while Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia were more common in permanent teeth.

Conclusions:

• The overall endodontic microbiota composition in infected primary and permanent teeth is similar.
• Distinct differences in bacterial phyla exist between primary and permanent teeth, offering insights into infection origins.