Periodontics · single question
All of the following bacteria are implicated in chronic (stage III/IV) periodontitis EXCEPT one. Which is the EXCEPTION?
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Correct answer: C. Streptococcus mutans
- A. Treponema denticola is a red complex spirochete found in high numbers in deep periodontal pockets and subgingival plaque.
- B. Porphyromonas gingivalis is a red complex pathogen and the most virulent periodontal bacterium — it is strongly associated with chronic periodontitis.
- C. CORRECT. Streptococcus mutans is the primary cariogenic bacterium — it causes dental caries through acid production from fermentable carbohydrates. It is an early colonizer of supragingival biofilm but is NOT a red complex periodontal pathogen. S. mutans is NOT associated with chronic periodontitis.
- D. Tannerella forsythia (formerly Bacteroides forsythus) is a red complex pathogen consistently found in deep periodontal pockets.