A Survey of the Flora of Dental Plaque in Caries-Free People in New Zealand

The bacterial composition of supragingival plaque of six caries-free New Zealand subjects was studied. The main genera found were Actinomyces, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Veillonella, Bacteroides, Fusobacterium, Eubacterium and Propionibacterium, together comprising about 85% of the cultivable flora. Most of the genera present were acidogenic and therefore absence of caries activity could not be explained by lack of potentially cariogenic bacteria.