Microorganisms in root carious lesions in adults.

PURPOSE Root caries is emerging as a significant problem in the middle aged and elderly subjects because of the improving general health conditions, and medical and technological advances. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the prevalence of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria as well as yeasts of Candida genus in root carious lesions in middle-aged and older adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS Specimens of root carious lesions were collected from 78 adults for bacteriological and mycological studies. Standard procedures of culture, isolation, and identification of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and fungi were used in the study. RESULTS The analysis of results was performed independently in two age groups of adults, i.e. 52 subjects aged 35-44 years (middle age) and 26-aged 55-72 years (older age). There were 120 bacterial strains isolated from root carious lesions in middle-aged subjects, 63 (52.5%) strains belonged to 5 genera of aerobic bacteria and 57 (47.5%)--to 7 genera of anaerobic bacteria (p > 0.05). While in the second group, 85 strains were isolated, 54 (63.5%)--6 genera of aerobic bacteria and 31 (36.5%)--4 genera of anaerobic bacteria (p = 0.0004). There were no differences between the isolation rate of a various species in both examined groups, except for Streptococcus spp., S. oralis, Micrococcus spp., Neisseria spp. and Veillonella spp., which statistically significantly most frequent occurred in elderly (p < 0.05). The yeasts of Candida genus of 4 species (C. albicans, C. lusitaniae, C. pelliculosa, and C. pulcherrima) were isolated from middle-aged subjects (32.7%) with the comparable rate to older adults (30.8%; only C. albicans) (p > 0.05). Among all isolated microorganisms, Candida spp., were comprised about 10% in both examined groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Aerobic Gram-positive cocci (Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp.) as well as anaerobic ones (Peptostreptococcus spp.), and Candida albicans were occurred most frequently in root carious lesions in middle-aged and older adults.