Abstract
Oral bacteria were the first bacteria reported over 300 years ago, yet oral microbiology is still a developing field. Recent advances in molecular biology greatly improve our understanding of the oral microbiota. Oral bacteria form multispecies biofilms on oral surfaces in order to resist salivary wash and mechanical cleaning. These multispecies environments dictate oral health or disease. More than 700 oral bacterial species have been identified so far. Current technology enables for the first time the definition of the microbial composition associated with oral health and disease. Understanding the changes occurring in the microbial composition during transition from oral health to disease should lead to novel approaches to prevent and to treat oral disease.
Original language | American English |
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Title of host publication | Beneficial Microorganisms in Multicellular Life Forms |
Editors | Eugene Rosenberg, Uri Gophna |
Place of Publication | Berlin, Heidelberg |
Publisher | Springer Berlin Heidelberg |
Pages | 189-201 |
Number of pages | 13 |
ISBN (Print) | 978-3-642-21680-0 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2011 |