The Microbiology of Periodontal Disease

From Volume 26, Issue 5, June 1999 | Pages 191-197

Authors

Howard F. Jenkinson

BSc, PhD

Professor of Oral Microbiology, Department of Oral and Dental Science, University of Bristol Dental Hospital and School

Articles by Howard F. Jenkinson

David Dymock

BSc, PhD

Lecturer in Oral Microbiology, Department of Oral and Dental Science, University of Bristol Dental Hospital and School

Articles by David Dymock

Abstract

Periodontal diseases result from mixed bacterial infections, in which both host resistance barriers and bacterial interactions are important. Approximately ten bacterial species are strongly implicated with various forms of periodontal disease, although species that cannot yet be cultivated are likely also to be relevant. New technologies have shown that pathogenic bacterial species are present in defined complexes within subgingival plaque, thus identifying specific targets for therapeutic intervention. In light of increasing antibiotic resistance amongst oral bacteria, new strategies for control of periodontal bacterial complexes must be developed that inhibit the bacterial factors necessary for colonization and destruction of host tissues.

Article

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