Bacteriology and Antibiotic Sensibility Associated with Extracted Carious Teeth: A Cross Sectional Study at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana

Background: Many oral bacterial species forming the normal flora present as a biofilm in the oral cavity. Dental caries results when there is an imbalance of pathogenic bacteria within these biofilms. Aim: This study sought to isolate and identify the bacterial species associated with extracted carious teeth and their susceptibility pattern towards commonly employed antimicrobial agents used at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study carried out on thirty-three extracted carious teeth samples collected by convenient sampling from patients attending the Oral Health Directorate-KATH. All samples were collected from the 11^th of March 2019 to the 6^th of April 2019. Data was collected using 5 ml peptone water and a case study form. Analysis was done using SPSS version 25 and Microsoft Excel version 10. Results: Twenty (61%) samples were obtained from female patients and thirteen samples (39%) from male patients. Streptococcus spp had the highest occurrence (32.25%) with the least isolated being Pseudomonas and E. coli spp (6.45%). Antibiotic susceptibility test revealed Pseudomonas spp was resistant to all the eight antibiotics used in this study. All bacterial isolates were resistant to Cefuroxime and penicillin except Staphylococcus and Streptococcus spp. Conclusion: The commonest isolates associated with dental caries in KATH were Streptococcus, Bacillus and Staphylococcus spp. In this study most of the isolated species were resistant to common antibiotics employed in the Oral Health Directorate in KATH (amoxicillin/clavulanic, ampicillin and penicillin). From the current study the most effective antibiotic observed was meropenem (23%) with penicillin (3%) being least effective in treating infections of caries.