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Periodontics · single question

Which bacterial morphology and characteristics are most classically associated with periodontitis?

  1. Anaerobic, gram-negative bacilli (rods) — the classic periodontal pathogens (e.g., P. gingivalis, T. forsythia, Fusobacterium, Prevotella) are predominantly rod-shaped, not coccoid
  2. Anaerobic, gram-negative cocci
  3. Aerobic, gram-positive cocci
  4. Aerobic, gram-positive bacilli
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Correct answer: A. Anaerobic, gram-negative bacilli (rods) — the classic periodontal pathogens (e.g., P. gingivalis, T. forsythia, Fusobacterium, Prevotella) are predominantly rod-shaped, not coccoid

The classic periodontal pathogens associated with chronic periodontitis (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia, and others) are predominantly anaerobic, gram-negative bacilli (rod-shaped bacteria), not cocci — reflecting the disease's characteristic shift away from the more coccoid, gram-positive, aerobic flora seen in periodontal health.

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