Comparative clinical characterization of microflora between primary and secondary endodontic infections-An in vivo cross sectional study

Aim: The aim of the present study was to analyse the microbiota of primary and secondary/persistent endodontic infections of patients undergoing endodontic treatment with respect to clinical and radiographic findings. Materials and methodology: The experimental material included the samples collected from 139 patients. These subjects were divided into two groups of 74 and 65 patients. Group 1-Primary endodontic infections, Group 2-Secondary endodontic infections (Retreatment cases). The collected samples were subjected to aerobic and anaerobic bacterial cultures and selected specific uncultivable microorganisms were subjected to Polymerase Chain Reaction. The material collected in transport medium was mixed thoroughly and it was divided into two aliquots. One of the aliquots was used for aerobic culture and Polymerase Chain Reaction, the other was subjected to anaerobic culture study. Statistical analysis was done. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: For the given sample, the values for Porphyromonas gingivalis (p = 0.001), Prevotella intermedia (p = 0.017) and Streptococcus aerobic (p = 0.001), Klebsiella aerogens (p = 0.03) and Streptococcus (p = 0.005) and Dialister invisus (p = 0.024) showed statistically significant differences between primary and secondary lesions. Conclusions: The primary lesions showed significantly higher number of Klebsiella aerogens, Streptococcus, Dialister invisus and secondary lesions with Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Streptococcus respectively.