Microbial profile of root canals of pulpally infected teeth in Ghanaians

Abstract

Introduction: Pulpal and periapical infections are initiated by microorganisms when they gain access to the dental pulp. The success of root canal treatment principally depends on the eradication of the micro-organisms in the root canal system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the viable microbial profile of root canals with various stages of infection in Ghanaians. Material and Methods: Forty-four consecutive patients with sixty teeth referred to the Restorative Dentistry Clinic requiring root canal treatment were recruited. Root canal samples were collected from the teeth with sterile paper points. The samples were processed and subjected to microbial analysis and identification using Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). Results: A total of 259 isolates were recovered from the 60 infected root canals, belonging to twenty different microbial genera. Out of the 259 microbial species isolated, only two were Candida albicans, a fungi; 257 (99.2%) were bacterial isolates belonging to 19 genera. The 19 genera encompassed 53 bacterial species, out of which 26 (49.1%) were identified as facultative anaerobes, 15 (28.3 %.) as obligate anaerobes and 12 (22.6%) were aerobes. Streptococcus species (Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus constellatus) were the most predominant isolates, followed by Prevotella sp, Actinomyces sp, Enterococcus faecalis and Rothia sp respectively. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that infected root canals are polymicrobial in nature. The determination of the microbial profile aids in understanding the pathogenesis of pulpal and periradicular infections and helps in choosing effective antimicrobial irrigation and medicament for root canal treatment.

Keywords

• cal periodontitis
• microbiota
• bacteria
• streptococcus
• spectrometry
• mass