Implantation of Bacteroides gingivalis in Nonhuman Primates Initiates Progression of Periodontitis

Although periodontitis is a bacterial disease, its multidimensional nature and its bacterial complexity have made it difficult to definitively prove that specific microorganisms initiate the disease process. The successful implantation of a rifampin-resistant strain of the putative periodontal pathogen Bacteroides gingivalis into the periodontal microbiota of monkeys ( Macaca fascicularis ) resulted in an increase in the systemic levels of antibody to the microorganism and rapid and significant bone loss.