Prevalence of Actinomyces israelii, A. naeslundii, Bacterionema matruchotii, and Candida albicans in Selected Areas of the Oral Cavity and Saliva

Abstract

Using appropriate cultural techniques, the prevalence of Actinomyces israelii, A. naeslundii, Bacterionema matruchotii, and Candida albicans was determined in 348 selected non-salivary oral samples from 90 individuals and 90 salivary samples from 55 of the same individuals. In cultures, A. israelii was recovered from 48% of the non-salivary samples and approximately 29% of the salivary samples; A. naeslundii, from 23.1 and 12.2%, respectively; B. matruchotii, from 19.3 and 4.4%, respectively; and C. albicans, from 18.2 and 34.4%, respectively. It also was found that the prevalence of each organism studied, as determined by cultural methods, was dependent on the type of material sampled, the area from which the sample was taken, the type of oral disease present, and the individual. In a high percentage of plaques from early or shallow carious lesions or material from deep cavities from 4 children with rampant caries, A. israelii was the predominant organism recovered in cultures whereas streptococci were the predominant organisms in approximately 10% of such plaques. The significance of this finding, if any, remains to be determined.