Attempt To Stimulate Dental Calculi in Cats by Subgingival Implantation of Bacterionema Matruchotii

¹ Department of Microbiology, State University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

An attempt was made to extend Bulleid's observation¹ that Leptothrix buccalis (now Bacterionema matruchotii) provokes dental calculi when implanted beneath the gingivae of cats. We were unable to confirm his finding.

We observed that cats that had the gingivae reflected and B. matruchotii implanted formed no greater amounts of calculi than control cats. Four strains of B. matruchotii were tested, and each was implanted into three cats. Similarly, cats that had the gingivae reflected and periodontal-pocket exudate and calculi from either a human being or a cat implanted formed no greater amounts of calculi than control animals. The calculi that formed in four control groups, each containing 3 cats, were used for comparison. Control Group I was not reflected and no organism was implanted. Control Group II had the gingivae reflected, but no organism implanted. Control Groups III and IV had B. cereus var. mycoides, and L. fermenti, respectively, implanted beneath the reflected gingivae. In both experimental and control cats, the teeth were cleaned at the start of the experiment and the Ca⁺⁺ content of that calculi that accumulated in 18 weeks determined. These Ca⁺⁺ values were regarded as a quantitative index of calculi production and were used in making the comparisons.