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A Message for Coast Dental Hygienists and Doctors:

“As we dive deeper into the pathogenicity of periodontal disease, we find that it is not simply the presence of bacteria that is the problem, nor is it our goal to eradicate all bacteria present in the mouth.
Over the next several Fast Facts, I want you to listen and to learn about each of the bacterial cluster classifications and their roles in achieving a healthy microbiome in the mouth and think about your role in achieving homeostasis.”

Andrew Johnston, RDH, BSBM
Director of Hygiene Coast Dental

[Andrew Johnston, RDH]

Welcome back, everyone. You are listening to another episode of Fast Facts- Perio Edition brought to you by A Tale of Two Hygienists in partnership with DentistRX. And now, please welcome your host, Katrina Sanders.

[Katrina Sanders, RDH]

Hello and welcome to Fast Facts - Perio Edition. In this episode, we discuss the Socransky bacterial cluster classifications. In 1998, Socransky et al discovered ways in which we could better classify the bacteria associated with periodontal disease. Specifically, Socransky evaluated the fact that these particular bacteria had various complexities when it came to the ways in which their pathogenicity is either established a stability of health or contributed to pathogenicity around disease. Known as the Golden Age of microbiology, anywhere from 1880 to 1920, ideologic agents or understanding of pathways and ideologic factors of periodontal diseases became initiated.

However, it wasn't until Socransky and his team evaluated the shift or the dysbiosis between health and disease producing bacteria that we truly began to understand that periodontal disease by itself is not simply a disease of bacteria presence, but rather a disease affiliated with disease producing bacteria and a dysbiosis or an imbalance between the health and disease producing bacteria. Socransky classified these periodontic pathogenic bacteria into different complexities, noting specifically that the earlier colonizers classified as your green complex bacteria, are the bacteria that are typically affiliated with health.

In these classifications, E Corrodens and the Capnocytophaga series were evaluated and classified based on their abilities to produce health. In the earlier colonizers Yellow complex bacteria of the Streptococcal series were specifically identified, specifically strep mitis, strep oralis and strep sanguis. As disease progression continued to move, Socransky classified orange complex bacteria, specifically prevotella intermedia and fusobacterium nucleatum as well as C. rectus.

Finally, we advance into the Red Complex series, specifically P. gingivalis, T. denticola and T. forsythia. Finally Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans has been placed into its own unique category based on its unique pathogenicity. The next several programs are going to look at the green, yellow, orange, red and pink complex bacteria as they're classified by Socransky et al.

This has been another episode of Fast Facts - Perio Edition with Katrina Sanders, RDH. Please feel free to reach me on Instagram @thedentalwinegenist or on my website www.KatrinaSanders.com Cheers.

[Andrew Johnston, RDH]

Thank you for listening to another episode of Fast Facts - Perio Edition, brought to you in part by DentistRX makers of the InteliSonic line of power brushes. Find out more by visiting their website at www.dentistrx.com. We'll see you next week for another Fast Fact!