Identification of bacterial markers by culture technique in evaluation of periodontal therapy

The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the presence of A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis and P. intermedia, as revealed by culture technique, could discriminate between three distinct adult patient groups, those: with recurrent periodontal disease, with cured periodontal disease or who were periodontally healthy. Forty one patients previously treated for advanced periodontitis were divided into recurrent or cured groups, with a third periodontally healthy reference group. All subjects were sampled for the three bacterial strains under scrutiny. Although all three micro-organisms were found significantly more often in diseased sites, it was concluded that a sample positive for all three may indicate a false record of disease activity. However, a sample negative for the three bacteria strongly indicates an absence of disease activity.