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Distinct microbiome profiles in convergent wisdom tooth impactions.
Paul M Campbell1, Verena Toedtling2, Gavin J Humphreys1
1School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Oxford Rd, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
Journal of Applied Microbiology
|January 10, 2023
Summary
Convergent wisdom teeth impactions, particularly horizontal ones, show altered dental plaque microbiome diversity and increased Veillonella bacteria. This may link specific impaction angles to caries risk in adjacent molars.
Area of Science:
- Oral microbiology
- Dental implantology
- Periodontology
Background:
- Impacted wisdom teeth (third molars) can lead to plaque stagnation, caries on adjacent second molars, and tooth loss.
- Pre-emptive removal of asymptomatic wisdom teeth lacks sufficient evidence, despite known risks.
- Convergent impactions are increasingly linked to caries development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dental plaque microbiome composition on the distal surface of mandibular second molars.
- To analyze plaque differences based on various wisdom tooth impaction angles.
- To identify microbial markers associated with caries risk in impacted wisdom teeth.
Main Methods:
- Short-read sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene was used to analyze plaque microbiome composition.
- Four impaction angulations were compared: horizontal, mesial (convergent), distal, and vertical (divergent).
- Machine learning (random forest classifier) was employed to predict impaction angles from microbiome profiles.
Main Results:
- Microbial diversity was lower in horizontal impactions compared to mesial ones.
- Veillonella Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) were significantly more abundant in impactions angled towards the midline.
- Machine learning accurately predicted native angulations, especially for convergent impactions.
Conclusions:
- Convergent impactions (horizontal and mesial) show distinct microbial differences linked to caries.
- Horizontal impactions are associated with reduced microbial diversity and increased Veillonella abundance.
- Microbiome profiling may help predict caries risk associated with specific wisdom tooth impaction angulations.
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