Material Adherent to Probes During a Periodontal Examination: Light and Electron Microscopic Observations

The material adherent to a periodontal probe during the examination of deep periodontal pockets was studied with light and electron microscopy. Most of the specimens contained bacteria with a morphology which has been associated with a pathogenic flora. The findings suggest that periodontal probes may have the potential of transmitting pathogenic bacteria from involved sites to other sites in the mouth, although it remains to be demonstrated that this will result in actual implantation of the organisms at the new sites.