Dental pulp

This study investigated the microbiome of healthy dental pulp using 16S rRNA sequencing of samples from impacted third molars. While bacterial DNA was detected in all samples, most originated from reagent contamination, with human DNA comprising the majority of extracted material. Although some oral bacteria were more abundant in pulp than in dentin or controls, contaminant species dominated overall. The results question the existence of a true core microbiome in healthy pulp and underscore the importance of rigorous contamination controls in microbiome research.