Sedimentary rocks in our mouth: dental pulp stones made by nanobacteria

Neva Ciftcioglu; Vefa Ciftcioglu; Hojatollah Vali; Eduardo Turcott; E. Olavi Kajander

doi:10.1117/12.319828

6 July 1998 Sedimentary rocks in our mouth: dental pulp stones made by nanobacteria

Neva Ciftcioglu, Vefa Ciftcioglu, Hojatollah Vali, Eduardo Turcott, E. Olavi Kajander

Proceedings Volume 3441, Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.319828
Event: SPIE's International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1998, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

The mechanisms of dental pulp stone formation are still largely unknown. Pulp stones are mainly composed of carbonate apatite. Only few experimental reports have elucidated the potential of some selected bacteria to produce apatite under in vitro conditions using special calcification media. The tested stone forming bacteria were, in fact, often better known for their cariogenic potential. Our preliminary work with 18 dental pulp stones from Turkey, selected only by severity of the stone formation, indicated the presence of nanobacterial antigens in the demineralized stones. Furthermore, high incidence of kidney stones and gall stones in the patient group and in their parents was found. This raises the implication that nanobacteria may enter the body also via oral route, in addition to the parenteral and transplacental routes. The role of nanobacteria in dental pulp stone formation was further studied by following nanobacterial colonization and mineral formation on human tooth in vitro. Two molar teeth, one having pulp stone and one without, were vertically cut into two pieces, sterilized by autoclaving and incubated with or without nanobacteria in DMEM. Electron microscopic observations indicate that nanobacteria can cause apatite stone formation on tooth surface. The sever from of dental pulp stone formation might be associated with nanobacteria. This form of dental disease results in loss of teeth due to osteolytic processes. This addresses the necessity for a study on unconventional mineral-forming bacteria as a cause for human diseases.

Citation Download Citation

Neva Ciftcioglu, Vefa Ciftcioglu, Hojatollah Vali, Eduardo Turcott, and E. Olavi Kajander "Sedimentary rocks in our mouth: dental pulp stones made by nanobacteria", Proc. SPIE 3441, Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology, (6 July 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.319828

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available