Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bacteria found in root canal infections of fractured dog teeth
By Srečnik, Špela et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary dentistry·2019·Dentistry and Oral Surgery Department·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Microbiological Aspects of Naturally Occurring Primary Endodontic Infections in Dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with fractured teeth had samples taken from their root canals to study the types of bacteria causing infections. Researchers found a variety of bacteria, with many being harmful types that thrive in low-oxygen environments. Interestingly, the number of different bacteria decreased as the fractures aged over a year. However, there was no clear link between the number of bacteria and the visible signs of dental disease. This suggests that these infections can involve multiple bacteria, but the severity of the infection may not always be obvious.
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Abstract
Dental fractures are common in dogs, but data on microbiology of naturally occurring primary endodontic infections, and their relation to clinical and radiographic signs, are lacking. Samples were obtained from root canals of 32 periodontally healthy fractured teeth under aseptic conditions and immediately cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Cultures were further identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization, time of flight technology. Sixty-one bacteria (30 bacterial species) were isolated from root canals; 54% were Gram-negative bacteria, 53% were facultative anaerobic, and 42% were anaerobic bacteria. Number of bacterial species in the root canals declined with the duration of fractures over 12 months. No statistically significant association was found between the number of bacterial species involved in the root canal infection and any of the clinical or radiographic signs of endodontic disease. Naturally occurring primary endodontic infections in dogs appear to be polymicrobial and involve only a selected number of opportunistic pathogen species.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31542989/