Colonization of the cementum surface of teeth by oral Gram-negative bacteria.

By using in vitro assays, a group of related, filamentous gram-negative bacteria isolated from subgingival plaque deposits of patients with periodontal disease were found to colonize intact teeth. Tentatively identified as members of the genus Cytophaga, these isolates exhibited a preference for colonizing the cementum surface of the root. Examination of intact teeth after several weeks of colonization revealed that the root substructure had been extensively demineralized.