Endodontic microflora of different teeth in the same mouth

This study examined similarities in the microbiology of initial, and subsequent, infections in different dental root canals in the same patient. In the initial infections, 61.5% of root canals had anaerobes present compared with 54% of root canals treated subsequently. Commercial identification kits were employed in speciation of isolates. Both sets of dental root canals had in common Peptostreptococcus micros, Eubacterium lentum and Veillonella parvula as species very commonly isolated. In addition Prevotella spp. tended to be present in both initial and subsequently infected teeth in the same patient (P = 0.01); this was true of Gram-negative bacteria in general (P = 0.03). A significant association was observed between the type of tooth infected at an initial and subsequent infection in the same mouth (P = 0.01). In conclusion, there is an association between bacteria isolated from initial endodontically infected teeth and subsequent infected root canals in a patient. (C) 1999 Academic Press.