Relationship between line structures on the surface of salivary stone and microorganism

In a SEM finding, line structures were observed on the surface of salivary stones. This study determines whether line structures are microorganism.The materials are 19 submandibular gland calculi. Bacterium are isolated from the surface of calculi and cultured.The surface of all calculi and the isolated bacterium are observed by SEM.The results of isolated bacterium were 7 Streptococcus sp., 2 Corynebacterium sp., 1 Staphylococcus sp. and 1 Actinomyces sp.In a SEM finding of the surface of calculi, line structures were recognized in 4 cases, and from a case of them, Actinomyces sp. were isolated.The SEM finding of Actinomyces sp. and line structures of calculus surface were morphologically the same.On the other hand, we observed by clectron microscopy the scratched materials of the calculus surface which were isolated Actinomyces sp. and recognized that they were microorganism.The results described above suggest that the line structures of the calculus surface by SEM is Actinomyces sp.