With the adoption of an anaerobic glove box system, we isolated and identified the predominant micro-organisms in lesions of carious dentin from four permanent third molars. The overwhelming majority of the micro-organisms isolated from both shallow and deep layers of carious dentin were obligate anaerobes, suggesting that conditions in the dentin were strictly anaerobic. The predominant obligate anaerobes were Gram-positive rods which were identified as members of the following genera: Propionibacterium, Eubacterium, Arachnia, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Actinomyces. Clostridia, Gram-negative rods (Bacteroides and Fusobacterium) and Gram-positive cocci (Peptococcus, Peptostreptococcus, and Streptococcus) were also isolated, although they constituted a minor part of the flora.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Aranki, A.; Syed, S.A.; Kenney, E.B.; and Freter, R. (1969): Isolation of Anaerobic Bacteria from Human Gingiva and Mouse Cecum by Means of a Simplified Glove Box Procedure, Appl Microbiol17:568-576.
2.
Batty, 1. (1958): Actinomyces odontolyticus, A New Species of Actinomycete Regularly Isolated from Deep Carious Dentin, J Pathol Bacteriol75:455-459.
3.
Burnett, G.W. and Scherp, H.W. (1951): The Distribution of Proteolytic and Aciduric Bacteria in the Saliva and in the Caries Lesion, Oral Surg4:469-477.
4.
Edwardsson, S. (1974): Bacteriological Studies on Deep Areas of Carious Dentin, Odont Revy25(Supp) 32:1-143. Holdeman, L.V.; Cate, E.P.; and Moore, W.E.C., Eds. (1977): Anaerobe Laboratory Manual , 4th ed. Blacksburg, VA: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
5.
Hoshino, E.; Flölander, F.; and Carlsson, J. (1978): Oxygen and the Metabolism of Peptostreptococcus anaerobius VPI 4330-1, J Gen Microbiol107:235-248.
6.
Hoshino, E.; Horigome, T.; Kagawa, R.; Kaketa, A.; and Okuda, R. (1984a): Characteristics of Propionibacterium and Arachnia Isolated from Carious Dentin, Jpn J Oral Biol26 :276-279.
7.
Hoshino, E.; Horigome, T.; Kagawa, R.; Kaketa, A.; and Okuda, R. (1984b): Species Identification of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Actinomyces Isolated from Human Carious Dentin, Jpn J Oral Biol26:496-501.
8.
Hoshino, E.; Horigome, T.; Kagawa, R.: Kaketa, A.; and Okuda, R. (1984c): Species Identification of Eubacterium, Clostridium, and Obligately Anaerobic Gram-Positive Cocci and Gram-Negative Rods Isolated from Human Carious Dentin, Jpn J Oral Biol26:538-542.
9.
Kelstrup, J. (1966): Improved Bacterial Sampling from Healthy and Inflamed Gingival Sulci, Periodontics4: 11-13.
10.
Loesche, W.J. and Syed, S.A. (1973): The Predominant Cultivable Flora of Carious Plaque and Carious Dentin, Caries Res7 :201-216.
11.
Moore, W.E.C. and Holdeman, L.V. (1974): Bacteroides, Fusobacterium, Propionibacterium and Eubacterium. In: Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology , 8th ed., R.E. Buchanan
12.
and N.E. Gibbons, Eds., Baltimore, MD: The Williams and Wilkins Co., pp. 385-404, 404-416, 633-641, and 641-657. Onisi, M. and Nuckolls, J. (1958): Descriptions of Actinomycetes and Other Pleomorphic Organisms Recovered from Pigmented Carious Lesions of the Dentin of Human Teeth, Oral Surg11:910-930.
13.
Pine, L. and Georg, L.K. (1974): Arachnia. In: Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 8th ed., R.E. Buchanan and N.E. Gibbons , Eds., Baltimore, MD: The Williams and Wilkins Co., pp. 668-669.
14.
Rogosa, M. (1974): Peptococcaceae, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium . In: Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology. 8th ed., R.E. Buchanan and N.E. Gibbons, Eds., Baltimore, MD: The Williams and Wilkins Co., pp. 517-525, 576-593, and 669-677. Shovlin, F.E. and Gillis, R.E. (1969): Biochemical and Anti
15.
genic Studies of Lactobacilli Isolated from Deep Dentinal Caries, 1. Biochemical Aspect, J Dent Res48:356-360.
16.
Slack, J.M. (1974): Actinomyces. In: Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 8th ed,, R.E. Buchanan and N.E. Gibbons , Eds., Baltimore, MD: The Williams and Wilkins Co., pp. 660-667.
17.
Smith, L. Ds. and Hobbs, G. (1974): Clostridium. In: Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 8th ed., R.E. Buchanan and N.E. Gibbons , Eds., Baltimore, MD: The Williams and Wilkins Co., pp. 551-572.
18.
Syed, S.A. and Loesche, W.J. (1973): Efficiency of Various Growth Media in Recovering Oral Bacterial Flora from Human Dental Plaque, Appl Microbiol26:459-465.
19.
Takazoe, I.; Takuma, S.; and Yamamoto, H. (1973): Carieslike Lesions Formed in Human Teeth in vitro , J Dent Res52(Suppl):1008 (Abstract No. 23).
