Microbial patterns in pooled subgingival plaque samples from young adults with advanced marginal periodontitis.

Different bacterial profiles of subgingival plaque have been described for different clinical categories of marginal periodontitis. In the present investigation the subgingival microflora was studied in young adults with advanced marginal periodontitis. From 12 patients pooled subgingival plaque samples from 5 advanced stages of diseased sites were examined by direct differential phase-contrast microscopy and by cultivation on enriched and selective media. The proportions of the following genera and species were calculated: black-pigmented Bacteroides sp., B. gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Veillonella sp., Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Capnocytophaga sp., Eikenella corrodens, Campylobacter sp., and Candida sp. Spirochete identification was carried out ultrastructurally. Calculated percent minimum similarity levels between the individuals revealed that each patient harbored its characteristic cultivable subgingival microflora different from the other individuals. The spirochetes seemed to constitute the subgingival bacterial group with the smallest variation as certain morphotypes were dominating in almost all individuals.