Abstract
The aim of this study was to find out whether the suspected periodontal pathogens Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella intermedia and Porphyromonas gingivalis could be recovered from the dental plaque and the dorsum of the tongue in children without periodontal breakdown. Thirty-six male Caucasian children participated in this study, 21 aged 6–11 y and 15 aged 14–16 y. Subcontact area plaque and tongue samples were cultured on selective media and a presumptive identification of the recovered organisms performed. Fifteen of 21 prepubertal and 11 of 15 postpubertal subcontact area samples were positive for Prevotella intermedia, with the corresponding positive tongue samples being 17 and 12 respectively. Four of eight subcontact and three of eight tongue samples contained A. actinomycetemcomitans in the prepubertal group, the corresponding data for the postpubertal were six of nine and three of nine respectively. Three prepubertal and five postpubertal dental samples, and two prepubertal and five postpubertal tongue samples were positive for P. gingivalis. The frequent detection of A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. intermedia from approximal plaque and tongue indicates the ability of these organisms to colonise different oral surfaces. The results confirm that the dorsum of the tongue can act as a reservoir for these species, so that colonisation of other oral surfaces, such as the gingival crevice, could occur if the environmental conditions there were favourable. The results indicate that both species may be found, in low numbers, below the contact area and on the tongue in the absence of periodontitis, and in a population not demonstrably at risk to severe forms of the disease.