Comparison of two sampling methods for microbiological evaluation of periodontal disease in cats.

Background: Periodontal disease in cats is highly prevalent, and its aetiology is associated to bacteria located in the subgingival microbiota, being Porphyromonas sp. the most prevalent genus. The conventional technique to sample the subgingival microbiota is the use of cotton swabs over the mucosa and teeth; however the use of subgingival paper points could improve the bacterial recovery. Aim: The objective was to compare two microbial sampling approaches for the evaluation of the periodontal disease-associated microflora in cats. Methods: The study was designed as a pilot study. Ten cats were clinically evaluated and sampled under sedation. Subgingival pooled samples were collected from four sites. In parallel, samples were obtained with a cotton swab, by striking over the gingival margin and surface of the upper right canine. Samples were cultured on blood agar (aerobic and anaerobic incubation), Dentaid-1 (for Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and enterics), and a specific medium for Bartonella henselae. Results: For total anaerobic counts, paper point samples (6.59 +/- 0.5) demonstrated significantly higher counts (p = 0.03) than cotton swab samples (5.54 +/- 1.1). Moreover, the use of paper points increased the frequency detection of most pathogens thus reducing false negatives for Porphyromonas gulae (100% with paper points samples and 80% with cotton swab samples). Conclusions: Significant higher recoveries of anaerobic bacteria and more frequent detection of putative periodontal pathogens was observed when microbiological sampling was performed with paper points, in cats with periodontal disease. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.