Occurrence of periodontal bacteria in healthy children: a 2-year longitudinal study

OBJECTIVES: To examine the occurrence of specific periodontal bacteria in children and adolescents. METHODS: Ten putative periodontal bacteria were longitudinally examined in plaque and saliva samples from 119 periodontally healthy children (2-15 years old) using a polymerase chain reaction method. RESULTS: Capnocytophaga ochracea, C. sputigena, and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans were frequently found in saliva, and tended to persist in saliva for the remainder of the study, whereas Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Prevotella intermedia were rarely detected. P. nigrescens was more frequently detected in plaque and its prevalence increased with age. Eikenella corrodens and Campylobacter rectus were sometimes detected in both plaque and saliva, while Tannerella forsythensis was occasionally detected in saliva. CONCLUSION: A. actinomycetemcomitans, C. ochracea, C. sputigena, P. nigrescens, C. rectus, and E. corrodens are common members of the oral microbial flora of healthy children, whereas P. gingivalis, P. intermedia, and T. denticola appear to be transient organisms.