A microbiological analysis of human early carious and non-carious fissures.

The fissure sampling technique consisted of removing the fissure using a bur in a high-speed handpiece with water spray and then suctioning the fissural contents and the water spray into a sterile sampling container. Sixty-eight teeth were sampled. Total bacterial counts, total streptococcal counts, and counts of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguis, Streptococcus faecalis, Actinomyces viscosus, and lactobacilli were performed on the fissural samples. There was a four-fold increase in the total number of microorganisms recovered from carious (N = 48) compared to non-carious (N = 20) fissures. S. mutans was the only microorganism common to all carious fissures.