Original scientific paper

Trichomonas Tenax in Human Oral Cavity

Sanja Šegović ; Department of Dental Pathology, School of Dentistry, Zagreb, Croatia
Jasminka Granić ; Dr. Fran Mihaljević Clinical Hospital, Zagreb
Dunja Buntak-Kobler ; Department of Dental Pathology, School of Dentistry, Zagreb, Croatia
Karmen Potočki-Tukša ; Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Fifty-one patients were investigated in order to determine the presence of Trichomonas tenax in various oral structures (saliva, dental plaque from physiologically clean and unclean tooth areas, carious dentin, root canal contents). Samples were cultivated in liquid Diamond’s axenic broth medium. The results were considered positive if living oral Trichomonas was found in smears. The prevalence of Trichomonas tenax in the study patients was 35.5%. Trichomonas tenax was most frequently found in dental plaque (23.2%) and in the root canal content (30.0%) (p > 0.05). The variables observed in this study (patient’s age and sex, oral hygiene, gingivitis, number of carious teeth, smoking and coffee intake) did not influence the presence of Trichomonas tenax. According to the results obtained, a mature dental plaque appears to be the oral structure favoring the growth and survival of oral Trichomonas in the physiologic conditions. It is possible that Trichomonas tenax spreads from dental plaque into the diseased endodontium.

Keywords

Trichomonas tenax; human oral cavity; dental plaque; root canal

Hrčak ID:

100551

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/100551

Publication date:

15.12.1993.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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