Pericoronitis Microbiology — MFDS Part 1 MCQ
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Correct answer: E — A diverse, predominantly anaerobic polymicrobial oral flora
Acute pericoronitis is associated with a diverse, predominantly anaerobic polymicrobial flora beneath the operculum of a partially erupted tooth. Frequently recovered organisms include Prevotella, Fusobacterium, anaerobic Gram-positive cocci and oral streptococci; no single species is accepted as the sole causative agent. Staphylococcus aureus can cause other infections but is not the characteristic dominant pathogen in pericoronitis. Candida albicans may colonise the mouth but pericoronitis is not primarily a fungal infection. Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Treponema pallidum cause specific systemic infections and do not represent the usual microbiology of acute pericoronitis.
Reference: Wade WG, Gray AR, Absi EG, Barker GR. Predominant cultivable flora in pericoronitis. Oral Microbiology and Immunology. 1991;6(5):310-312. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1820571/