The impact of biofilms within the dental community is apparent, with application to dental caries and periodontal diseases This volume, with contributions by international experts in the field, encompasses both fundamental and clinical aspects and thus provides a valuable reference source for information on biofilm formation and control in the oral as well as in other environments.

Biofilms are highly organized polymicrobial communities that are embedded in an extracellular matrix and formed on natural and artificial surfaces. In the oral cavity, biofilms are formed not only on natural teeth, but also on restorative materials, prosthetic constructions, and dental implants. Oral diseases like caries, gingivitis, periodontitis, and also pulp inflammation are associated with biofilms. This publication is an up-to-date overview on oral biofilms from different clinically relevant perspectives. Experts comprising basic researchers and clinicians report on recent research relating to biofilms - from general summaries to recommendations for daily clinical work. This book covers all aspects of oral biofilms, including models used in the laboratory, biofilms in dental water unit lines, periodontal and peri-implant biofilms, caries-related biofilms, halitosis, endodontic biofilms, and Candida infections, as well as biofilms on dental materials and on orthodontic appliances. Several chapters deal with anti-biofilm therapy, from the efficacy of mechanical methods and the use of antimicrobials, to alternative concepts. This publication is particularly recommended to dental medicine students, practitioners, other oral healthcare professionals, and scientists with an interest in translational research on biofilms.

Dental plaque represents a classic example of both a biofilm and a microbial community, in that it displays emergent properties, i.e. plaque displays properties that are more than the sum of its constituent members. The view of plaque and its constituent microorganisms have shifted from specific plaque hypothesis to a non-specific plaque hypothesis and back again to a theory of specific periodontal pathogens in plaque. Recently dental researchers have begun to view plaque as a biofilm. Oral biofilms are very heterogeneous in structure. Dense mushroom-like structures originate from the enamel surface, interspersed with bacteria-free channels used as diffusion pathways. The channels are probably filled with an extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) matrix produced by the bacteria. The bacteria engage in both cooperative and competitive interactions. In order to break down complicated host macromolecules and extract nutrition, bacteria combine their metabolic efforts. A variety of diffusible chemicals are used in cell-cell signaling, which helps the microbial community's members coordinate their gene expression. Bacteria in biofilms use a system known as "quorum-sensing" to optimize their virulence factors and survival. Dental biofilm pathogenicity in the oral cavity is magnified by two biofilm characteristics: increased antibiotic resistance and the inability of the community to be phagocytized by host inflammatory cells. The key characteristics of biofilm that could be targets for pathogen management include its behavior as an adhesive mass with viscoelastic properties, its activity as a coordinated multi species community in which cells communicate via small molecules, and its inflammatory disease potential. To understand the mechanism of change from health to disease and their interaction with the host's reactions, more in-depth information of the metabolic activities controlling and governing biological processes at the species-species level is now required. An improved understanding of biofilm will lead to new strategies for management of oral diseases. In the near future, it is expected that the correlation between biofilm maturation and activation of specific genes of the inner microorganisms will be clarified at the molecular level.

Comprehensive Preventive Dentistry provides one user-friendly resource that brings together information on the scientific basis and clinical practice of all aspects of preventive dentistry. This thorough and all-encompassing resource offers techniques and strategies for maintaining excellent oral health in patients through a regimen of preventive measures. Comprehensive Preventive Dentistry is grounded in a patient-centered, pre-emptive, and minimally invasive philosophy. The book begins by covering individual diseases, such as caries, periodontitis, and oral cancer, as well as therapies (sealants, fluoride) and other relevant conditions (toothwear, hypersensitivity). Additionally, concepts such as the role of diet and nutrition in oral health are discussed. Also covered are oral care products and new techological developments in caries diagnosis and risk assessment, periodontal disease and oral cancer, as well as new developments in home care products. A valuable and comprehensive companion that will appeal to dentists and dental hygienists, this helpful new book provides its readers with one authoritative resource that offers a reliable and helpful companion to practicing preventive dentistry.

In the book Microbial Biofilms: Importance and applications, eminent scientists provide an up-to-date review of the present and future trends on biofilm-related research. This book is divided with four subdivisions as biofilm fundamentals, applications, health aspects, and their control. Moreover, this book also provides a comprehensive account on microbial interactions in biofilms, pyocyanin, and extracellular DNA in facilitating Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation, atomic force microscopic studies of biofilms, and biofilms in beverage industry. The book comprises a total of 21 chapters from valued contributions from world leading experts in Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Serbia, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, and Turkey. This book may be used as a text or reference for everyone interested in biofilms and their applications. It is also highly recommended for environmental microbiologists, soil scientists, medical microbiologists, bioremediation experts, and microbiologists working in biocorrosion, biofouling, biodegradation, water microbiology, quorum sensing, and many other related areas. Scientists in academia, research laboratories, and industry will also find it of interest.

Biofilms are formed by microorganisms growing on surfaces and comprise a series of microcolonies interspersed with spaces through which fluids and other microorganisms move. In medicine, the primary problems are biofilms associated with implants: infections are increasingly difficult to treat with traditional antibiotics and removal of the implant often becomes essential, frequently leading to higher morbidity and mortality. This will be the first book dedicated to medical biofilms. It will cover much recent information on the problems of biofilms, how to detect them and how to control their presence.

This book examines biofilms in nature. Organized into four parts, this book addresses biofilms in wastewater treatment, inhibition of biofilm formation, biofilms and infection, and ecology of biofilms. It is designed for clinicians, researchers, and industry professionals in the fields of microbiology, biotechnology, ecology, and medicine as well as graduate and postgraduate students.

Dental caries, a biofilm-mediated multifactorial dynamic disease, is identified as a type of global public health problem. Microbes including commensals and opportunistic cariogenic pathogens such as Streptococcus mutants embedded within an extracellular matrix form a highly organized biofilm 3D structure. Homeostasis of oral biofilm plays a vital role during caries development according to the ecological plaque hypothesis. Under unfavorable conditions such as excessive sugar intake, an excess of acid is produced by biofilm which resulted in an acid-induced selection, promoting the growth of acidogenic and aciduric microbes including opportunistic cariogenic bacteria. The transition from eubiosis to imbalance finally promotes tooth hard tissue destruction. Thus, controlling biofilms is key to controlling caries. Though caries has been studied for decades, the current situation of this disease is not optimistic. From the perspective of biofilm, firstly, there is a lack of in-depth analysis of pathogenic mechanisms. Besides, mature biofilms are mechanically hard to eliminate and much more resistant to antimicrobial agents than bacterioplankton. Moreover, materials that filling of decayed teeth are short of antimicrobial activity which contributes to secondary caries.