Understanding the microbial components of periodontal diseases and periodontal treatment-induced microbiological shifts

Fragkioudakis, I., Riggio, M. P. and Apatzidou, D. A. (2021) Understanding the microbial components of periodontal diseases and periodontal treatment-induced microbiological shifts. Journal of Medical Microbiology, 70(1), 001247. (doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.001247) (PMID:33295858)

Abstract

In the mid-1960s the microbial aetiology of periodontal diseases was introduced based on classical experimental gingivitis studies . Since then, numerous studies have addressed the fundamental role that oral microbiota plays in the initiation and progression of periodontal diseases. Recent advances in laboratory identification techniques have contributed to a better understanding of the complexity of the oral microbiome in both health and disease. Modern culture-independent methods such as human oral microbial identification microarray and next-generation sequencing have been used to identify a wide variety of microbial taxa residing in the gingival sulcus and the periodontal pocket. The first theory of the ‘non-specific plaque’ hypothesis gave rise to the ‘ecological plaque’ hypothesis and more recently to the ‘polymicrobial synergy and dysbiosis hypothesis’. Periodontitis is now considered to be a multimicrobial inflammatory disease in which the various bacterial species within the dental biofilm are in a dysbiotic state and this imbalance favours the establishment of chronic inflammatory conditions and ultimately the destruction of tooth-supporting tissues. Apart from the known putative periodontal pathogens, the whole biofilm community is now considered to play a role in the establishment of inflammation and the initiation and progression of periodontitis in a susceptible host. Treatment is unlikely to eliminate putative pathogens but, when it is thoroughly performed it has the potential to establish a healthy ecosystem by altering the microbial community in numbers and composition and also contribute to the maturation of the host immune response.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Riggio, Professor Marcello
• Authors: Fragkioudakis, I., Riggio, M. P., and Apatzidou, D. A.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing > Dental School
• Journal Name: Journal of Medical Microbiology
• Publisher: Microbiology Society
• ISSN: 0022-2615
• ISSN (Online): 1473-5644
• Published Online: 09 December 2020