Attached
Objectives: To identify the bacterial aetiologies and the antibiotic sensitivity patterns o f the aerobic bacteria at
selected dental units.
M ethods: A descriptive cross' sectional study was performed among patients presenting to the dental units at
National Hospital and Colombo South Teaching Hospital, w ith acute dentoalveolar abscesses. An aspirated sample
was processed in die microbiology laboratory to isolate the aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Antimicrobial
susceptibility was performed for the aerobes.
Results: In thirty patients, aerobic cultures isolated mainly viridians streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus and
coagulase negative staphylococci. Erythromycin resistance was shown by five isolates and clarithromycin resistance
shown by four, in the viridans group streptococci and two o f fas Staphylococcus aureus isolates showed macrolide
resistance. Penicillin resistance was shown by only two viridians streptococci. Ampicillin/amoxicillin resistance was
shown by only one of them. Among the strict anaerobes, the Porphyromonas species was the most commonly
identified isolate, followed by the Peptostreptococci, Bacteroides and Fusobacterium species. Other isolates included
Clostridium hastiforme, Actinomycesodontolyticus, Proprionibacter and Veillonella species.
Conclusions: Acute dentoalveolar abscesses have polymicrobial etiology, with the majority being anaerobes. The
aerobes are mostly sensitive to the commonly used antibiotics, such as amoxicillin. It must be noted that, though the
prevalence o f (J-lactamase production is increasing among the anaerobes, most o f them remain susceptible >to
metronidazole. However, further studies are needed to determine the susceptibility patterns o f the anaerobic bacteria.
