6. General properties of biofilm &
microbial communities
S.No. General property Dental plaque example
1 Open architecture Presence of channel or pores
2 Broader habitat range Obligate anaerobes in an overtly aerobic environment
3 More efficient metabolism Complete catabolism of complete host macromolecule
(mucins) by consortium of food webs
4 Enhanced virulence Pathogenic synergism in abscess & periodontal disease
5 Protection from host defense
desiccation
Production of extracellular matrix to form a functional
matrix
6 Neutralization of inhibitors Beta lactamases production by neighboring cells to
protect sensitive organism
7 Novel gene expression Synthesis of novel proteins upon attachment
8 Co-coordinated gene response Production of cell to cell signaling molecules
9 Cell to cell signaling Production of CSP, AI2 etc. cross talk with host epithelial
cells
10 Spatial &environmental
heterogenticity
pH & oxygen gradients; co-adhesion.
8. MATERIA ALBA
• Materia alba refers to the soft accumulation of bacteria &
tissue cells that lack the organized structure of dental
plaque and are easily displaced with a water spray –
Carranza
• COMPOSITION
- Food debris
- Dead tissue elements
- Purulent material
- Mixture of salivary proteins & lipids
• CONSISTENCY : soft & sticky
• SIGNIFICANCE : ideal growth medium for bacteria which can
induce gingival inflammation.
9. DENTAL PELLICLE
• SYNONYM – Acquired pellicle
• DEFINITION
- Pellicle is defined as tooth or mucosal adherent salivary protein -
PLR
• TYPES
1. Unstained pellicle
2. Stained pellicle
3. Sub-surface pellicle
• COMPOSITION
1. Glycoproteins
2. Phosphoproteins
3. Proline rich proteins
4. Histidine rich proteins
5. Enzymes - amylase
• FORMATION
Components of
GCF & saliva
(+ve)
Hydroxyapatite
on the enamel
surface
(-ve)
Pellicle
+
10. Difference between Food
debris, Materia alba & Plaque
S.No. Feature Food debris Materia alba Plaque
1 Structure No structure Amorphous Definite
structure
2 Adherence None Loose Close
3 Effect of rinsing Dislodge
readily
Dislodge by
forceful
rinsing
Do not
dislodge
Food
debris
Materia
alba
Plaque
11. DENTAL STAINS
• They are the pigmented deposits on the tooth surface.
Green stains:
- Gingival 3rd of facial
surface of maxillary
anterior teeth.
- Penicillium & aspergillus
- Common in children
(boys).
Black stains:
- Thin black line on the facial
& lingual surfaces of teeth
near gingival margin in
people with good oral
hygiene
- Actinomyces species
- Common in women.
Brown stains:
- Buccal surface of maxillary molars
& lingual surface of mandibular
incisors.
- Presence of tanin
- Thin & translucent Acquired
pigmented pellicle which is free
from bacteria.
- Common in people with poor oral
hygiene.
Metallic stains:
- Bismuth pigmentation : black line
- Arsenic pigmenation: black line
- Mercury pigmentation: black line
- Lead pigmentation: bluish red,
deep blue or grey (burtonian
line)
- Silver pigmentation : Violet
marginal line
Tobacco stains:
- Lingual and palatal surfaces
- Common in pits, fissures &
other enamel irregularities
- Tobacco stain is directly
proprtional to no. of
cigarettes smoked per day
Chlorhexidine stains:
- Frequent use of
chlorhexidine leads to dark
yellow to brownish stain
- Artificial as well as natural
teeth are affected
- At higher concentrations
stains are more severe.
Orange stains:
- Facial & lingual surfaces
of anterior teeth
- Serratia marcescens &
Flavobacterium
lutescens
- Rare stain
12. DENTAL PLAQUE
• SYNONYMS
- Microcorm
- Host associated biofilm
• DEFINITION
- Dental plaque is defined as a specific but highly variable structural entity
resulting from sequential colonization and growth of microorganisms on the
surfaces of teeth and restoration consisting of microorganisms of various strains
and species embedded in the extracellular matrix, composed of bacterial
metabolic products and substance from serum, saliva and blood.
- WHO 1978
- Dental plaque is defined as a soft deposit that forms the biofilm adherent to the
tooth surface or other hard surfaces in the oral cavity including removable and
fixed restorations.
- Carranza
- Microbial dental plaque described as aggregations of bacteria that are
tenaciously attached to the teeth and other surfaces.
- Genco
16. Differencebetweentoothassociatedandtissue
associatedsubgingivalplaque
S.N
o.
Tooth associated
subgingival plaque
Tissue associated
subgingival plaque
1 Gram +ve bacteria
predominates
Gram +ve and gram –ve
bacteria
2 Does not extend to
junctional epithelium
Extends to junctional
epithelium
3 May penetrate
cementum
May penetrate
epithelium &
connective tissue
4 Microorganisms:
S.sanguinis, S. mitis,
A. naeslundii, A.
viscosus,
Eubacterium
Microorganisms:
Staphylococcus
intermedius, S.oralis,
P.micros, P. gingivalis, P.
intermedia,
F.nucleatum, T.
forsythia.
5 Plays a role in calculus
formation & root
caries
Plays a role in gingivitis
& periodontitis.
19. PLAQUE FORMATION
Steps in plaque formation:
1. Formation of pellicle on the tooth surface
2. Initial adhesion/ attachment of bacteria
3. Colonization/ plaque maturation.
27. Criteria for identificationof
periodontopathogens
Koch’s postulates (1870s)
• It must be routinely
isolated from diseased
individuals.
• It must be grown in pure
culture in the laboratory.
• It must produce a similar
disease when inoculated
into a susceptible host.
• It must be recovered from
lesions in a diseased
laboratory animal.
Limitations in periodontal
microbiology
• The inability to culture all
the organisms
associated with the
disease.
• The difficulties inherent
in defining and culturing
sites of the active
disease.
• Lack of good animal
model system for the
study of periodontitis.
28. SOCRANSKY’S POSTULATES
• Must be associated with the disease, as evident by
increase in the number of organisms at diseased
sites.
• Must be eliminated or decreased in sites that
demonstrate clinical resolution of disease with the
treatment.
• Must demonstrate a host response, in the form of
an alteration in the host cellular or humoral immune
response.
• Must be capable of causing disease in experimental
animal models.
• Must demonstrate virulence factors responsible for
enabling the microorganism to cause destruction of
the periodontal tissues.
29. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF
PLAQUE
PLAQUE IN INITIATION OF PERIODONTAL DISEASES
Noxious products
release from plaque
bacteria
Release of gingipains
from P. gingivalis
Destruction of host
collagen
Direct destruction of
host soft tissue and
hard tissues.
Release of endotoxins
from plaque bacteria
Stimulation of host
immune and
inflammatory systems
Stimulation of IL &
TNF
Destruction of host
tissue.
Direct effect of plaque Indirect effect of plaque
30. Role of bacteria in periodontal diseases
/ etiological significance of dental plaque
• Plaque vs gingivitis
• Plaque vs chronic periodontitis
• Plaque vs LAP
• Plaque Vs necrotizing periodontal diseases
• Abscesses of periodontium
• Periimplantitis
31. MICROBIAL FLORA IN PERIODONTAL
HEALTH & DISEASES
PERIODONTAL HEALTH
• S. sanguis
• S. mitis
• Veillonella
• Streptococcus
• Capnocytophaga
GINGIVITIS
• Gram +ve species
- S. mitis
- S. oralis
- S. sanguis
- A. viscosus
- Peptostreptococcus micros
• Gram –ve species
- F. nucleatum
- P. intermedia
- Hemophilus
- Capnocytophaga
- Campylobacter species
PREGNANCY ASSOCIATED
GINGIVITIS
Prevotella intermedia
32. CHRONIC
PERIODONTITIS
• P. gingivalis
• B. forsythus
• P. intermedia
• C. rectus
• E. corrodens
• F. nucleatum
• A. actinomycetum
comitans
REFRACTORY
PERIODONTITIS
• A. actinomycetum
comitans
• P. gingivalis
• P. intermedia
• Bacteroides forsythus
NECROTIZING ULCERATIVE
PERIODONTITIS
- Spirochetes
- P. intermedia
Abscesses of the
periodontium
- P. intermedia
- P. gingivalis
- Bacteroides forsythus
- Peptostreptococcus micros
- Fusobacterium nucleatum
33. LOCALIZED
AGGRESSIVE
PERIODONTITIS
• A. actinomycetum
comitans
• C. rectus
• P. gingivalis
• F. nucleatum
• Capnocytophaga
• E. corrodens
• Bacteroides capillus
GENERALIZED
AGGRESSIVE
PERIODONTITIS
• P. gingivalis
• A. actinomycetum
comitans
• P. intermedia
• E. corrodens
• Capnocytophaga
• Nisseria