The Identification and Enumeration of Actinomyces from Plaque of New Guinea Indigenes

Abstract

The cultivable flora was examined in seven plaque samples collected from New Guinea indigenes with active radicular caries. The predominating organisms were streptococci. Actinomyces and related genera accounted for most of the remaining flora. Of 202 strains of gram-positive filamentous or diphtheroid organisms, 154 were presumptively identified as resembling either Actinomyces (126), Rothia dentocariosa (3), Propionibacterium (8), corynebacteria (3), Lactobacillus (12) or Bacillus (1). Strains of Actinomyces were classified as resembling A. viscosus (21), A. naeslundii (20), A. odontolyticus (40), A. israeli (41) or A. propionicus (4); A. odontolyticus was the only species isolated from all samples and was predominant in four samples.