High-Throughput Sequencing Analysis of Microbial Profiles in the Dry Socket

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore and describe the microbial profiles of dry socket (DS) and identify the key microbial population as a possible disease-related factor.

Materials and methods: Bacterial samples were collected from patients who underwent surgical mandibular third molar extraction and were divided in 3 groups: the disease (D) group composed of patients who were diagnosed with DS; the treated (T) group composed of patients from the D group who received treatment; and the control (C) group composed of patients who did not have adverse reactions after tooth extraction. Bacterial DNA was extracted and the V3 and V4 hypervariable regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene were amplified and subjected to sequencing. Sequence data were analyzed using alpha and beta diversity indices.

Results: In total, 772,169 high-quality sequences were detected from 31 samples. Using a 97% similarity level, 531 operational taxonomic units were detected. In addition, 10 phyla, 23 classes, 38 orders, 63 families, and 116 genera were found. Composition of the microbial community in the D group differed considerably from that of the T and C groups. Furthermore, a specific microbial pattern, which included Parvimonas, Peptostreptococcus, Prevotella, Fusobacterium, Slackia, Oribacterium, and Solobacterium species, appeared abundantly in the D group compared with the T and C groups. Moreover, Parvimonas, Peptostreptococcus, Prevotella, and Fusobacterium species had important roles in discriminating the D group from the other 2 groups.

Conclusion: These results suggest differences in the microbial community composition among DSs, normal-healing sockets, and post-treated sockets. These results provide better insight into the development of DS and enhance the understanding of DS. Nonetheless, further studies are necessary to investigate and confirm how these differential bacteria contribute to the development of the disease.