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Bacteria and Periodontal Disease

Timeline Display Date
1964

In a 1964 paper in the Archives of Oral Biology, intramural researchers Harold Jordan and Paul Keyes published the results of experiments confirming that given a particular diet, a bacteria found in plaque would cause periodontal disease. Subsequent research identified the bacteria, Odontomyces viscous, and detected its presence in humans.

A paper by Harold Jordan and Paul Keyes titled Aerobic, Gram-Positive, Filamentous Bacteria as Etiologic Agents of Experimental Periodontal Disease in Hamsters.
Edward Hamppand Trench Mouth
Explore an Interactive Timeline of NIDCR's History

Learn about important events, scientific breakthroughs, and publications starting in 1945.

Last Reviewed
December 15, 2025
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