Microbiology of Dental Caries PDF

Microbiology of Dental Caries William Wade Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions Outline Bacteria associated with caries Virulence factors of caries-associated species Extended ecological plaque hypothesis Microbiological control of caries Pre- and pro- biotics...

Microbiology of Dental Caries William Wade Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions Outline Bacteria associated with caries Virulence factors of caries-associated species Extended ecological plaque hypothesis Microbiological control of caries Pre- and pro- biotics Bacterial replacement therapy?  Factors required for the development of dental caries Teeth Bacteria in plaque Caries Fermentable carbohydrate in diet Time The oral environment relevant to caries Tooth surface Around 700 species of bacteria Saliva Gingival crevicular fluid Periodic availability of nutrients from host diet Are some bacteria more important than others in caries? Clarke (1924) grew Streptococcus mutans from advanced carious lesions 1960s – organisms responsible for “infectious” dental caries in rodent models identified as member of mutans streptococci (MS) group and lactobacilli MS in humans – S. mutans and S. sobrinus. Other mammals have their own version, e.g. S. rattus in rats; S. cricetus in hamsters Evidence implicating Streptococcus mutans in caries Streptococcus mutans found in high numbers in carious lesions Subjects with active caries have higher salivary counts of S. mutans (>106/ml) than subjects without active caries (