Plaque Bacteria

The human mouth contains an abundance of microorganisms. These oral bacteria have certain characteristics in common. For example, all possess surface molecules and the concomitant capacity for celltocell interaction. This contributes to their ability to form dental plaque. Plaque is a protective bacterial film which naturally accumulates on teeth. It has a number of beneficial effects. Excessive plaque formation, however, may also contribute to diseases such as gingivitis and peridontitis. Therefore, bacterial proliferation in the mouth requires some form of control. Various means can be employed to maintain microbial populations at levels compatible with health. Currently, antimicrobial agents are used. Perhaps in the future additional methods will evolve.

Thus far, 37 genera of bacteria have been identified within the human oral cavity (2:3247). The researchers, Kolenbrander and London (1993), have examined certain characteristics which the members of this diverse population have in common.

Most of the bacteria, for example, exhibit the property of intergeneic coaggregation. This coaggregation is characterized by "direct and viabilityindependent celltocell recognition" (2:3247). It results through the formation of bacterial adhesins on the cells' outer membrane or cell wall (2:3247). These adhesins enable the cells to simultaneously participate in different interactions with their partner cells.

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equire a lot of chewing. The natural texture of their diet acts to reduce the accumulation of excessive plaque. In contrast, diets which tend to be soft in texture involve reduced chewing, reduced tooth wear, and may lead to disease. Ultimately this slows tooth eruption, causing prolonged contact between the contiguous surfaces of adjacent teeth. The resultant stagnation then may result in an excess of interdental plaque. Newman observes that it is interdental plaque which is most frequently associated with tooth problems. No single speciesexogenous or otherwiseis known to cause a CIPD, however. Rather, the evidence suggests that disease results from changes in the relative proportions of the different bacterial populations. For example, shifts in the numbers of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Bacteroides gingivalis, Bacteroides intermedius, Wolinella recta, Fusobacterium nucleatum, as well as a number of treponemes and other species have definitely been associated with different disease stages and types. Thus, according to Newman, it seems that the commensal plaque species which occur in health may also have a pathogenic capacity. Whether or not a species of bacteria realizes this potential though could
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Approximate Word count = 1311
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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