List of Articles by Author

1. Ivić-Kardum M, Beader N, Štaudt-Škaljac G. Diagnostic Methods for Evaluation of Microbial Flora in Periodontitis. Acta Stomatol Croat. 2001;35(1):133-40.
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   Title in English:	Diagnostic Methods for Evaluation of Microbial Flora in Periodontitis
   Title in Croatian:	Dijagnostički postupci u procjenu mikrobne flore parodontitisa
   Type of Article:	professional paper
   MeSH:	PERIODONTITIS + microbiology
   Abstract:	Although over 300 bacterial species make up the oral flora, it is thought that only a few, either alone or in combination, initiate the progression of periodontitis. For over 20 years, culture techniques have been the primary method of identifying and studying putative pathogens. Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Bacteroides forsythus and Treponema denticola are considered bacterial pathogens. Culture techniques enable versatility in characterizing the subgingival flora, allow for speciation and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Selective culturing involves the use of media restrictive to certain microorganisms, while nonselective media provides maximal growth and captures a predominant cultivable flora. In addition to technical problems, cultivating microorganisms can be both time consuming and costly. Molecular diagnostic techniques, DNA probes and polymerase chain reaction are especially useful in detecting those bacteria and viruses that cannot be cultivated in vitro or are not sensitive to current cultivating techniques. Sensitivity and specificity is optimal according to the great number of bacteria present in plaque samples.