Estimation of total bacteria by real-time PCR in patients with periodontal disease.
Periodontal diseases are associated with the presence of elevated levels of bacteria within the
subgingival biofilm. The aim of this study was to evaluate the total bacterial load in patients with periodontal disease using real-time PCR. Subgingival plaque samples were collected from patients with chronic periodontitis (n = 20) and healthy controls (n = 20). The total bacterial load was determined by real-