Microbiology of Oral Biofilm-Dependent Diseases: Have We Made Significant Progress to Understand and Treat These Diseases?

• Published in: Current oral health reports Vol. 2; no. 1; pp. 37 - 47
• Main Authors: Colombo, Ana Paula Vieira, do Souto, Renata Martins, da Silva-Boghossian, Carina Maciel, Miranda, Rachel, Lourenço, Talita Gomes Baêta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-03-2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Bacteria; Biofilms; Dental plaque; Disease; Homeostasis; Human body; Infections; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolism; Metabolites; Microbiology (M Klein; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Oral hygiene; Section Editor; Topical Collection on Microbiology; Periodontal diseases; Caries; Endodontic infections; Oral microbiome; Dental plaque; Oral microbiota; Dental biofilm
• ISSN: 2196-3002; 2196-3002
• DOI: 10.1007/s40496-014-0041-8

The oral microbiome plays a crucial role in the establishment and maintenance of oral health. Major disturbances in the interactions between this microbiome, the microenvironment, and the host may lead to the development of oral diseases. A large proportion of infectious diseases that affect humans are caused by organisms living in biofilms. This is also the case for oral infections such as dental caries, periodontal diseases, and endodontic and fungal infections. In this review, new concepts regarding the role of the oral biofilm in the etiopathogenesis of these diseases are presented, and a more ecological view of pathogenic communities as causative agents of oral diseases is discussed. We believe that a better understanding of oral biofilm physiology and ecology will provide insight for the development of new cost-effective diagnostic tools, as well as preventive and therapeutic strategies for the management of these infections.