Distribution of cariogenic bacteria in carious lesions around tooth-colored restorations

Purpose: To compare the distribution of the three most suspected cariogenic groups of bacteria, mutans streptococci, Actinomyces naeslundii genospecies 2, and lactobacilli, in carious lesions around tooth-colored restorations. Materials and Methods: Samples from extracted teeth with clinical secondary caries around tooth-colored restorations were immuno-labeled with antibodies to the referred groups of bacteria and subsequently analyzed three dimensionally using confocal microscopy. Results: The three different bacterial groups were usually present in secondary caries around tooth-colored restorations suggesting that they are involved in its formation and development.