The authors have taken the liberty of presenting this manuscript in two parts. The first is a brief primer on microbial ecology, because, although the importance of microbial ecology in periodontal diseases is widely recognized, most of us do not know precisely what is meant by the term. The second section is a rather extensive overview of current studies of oral microbial ecology based almost entirely on recent in vivo studies.

https://laurieximenez.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/ref-2_socransky-2005_p2000.pdf

Periodontal microbial ecology.

Dental plaque is the diverse microbial community found on the tooth surface embedded in a matrix of polymers of bacterial and salivary origin. Once a tooth surface is cleaned, a conditioning film of proteins and glycoproteins is adsorbed rapidly to the tooth surface. Plaque formation involves the interaction between early bacterial colonisers and this film (the acquired enamel pellicle). To facilitate colonisation of the tooth surface, some receptors on salivary molecules are only exposed to bacteria once the molecule is adsorbed to a surface. Subsequently, secondary colonisers adhere to the already attached early colonisers (co-aggregation) through specific molecular interactions. These can involve protein-protein or carbohydrate-protein (lectin) interactions, and this process contributes to determining the pattern of bacterial succession. As the biofilm develops, gradients in biologically significant factors develop, and these permit the co-existence of species that would be incompatible with each other in a homogeneous environment. Dental plaque develops naturally, but it is also associated with two of the most prevalent diseases affecting industrialised societies (caries and periodontal diseases). Future strategies to control dental plaque will be targeted to interfering with the formation, structure and pattern of development of this biofilm.

Dental plaque as a biofilm

Summary
The oral streptococci have undergone considerable taxonomic revision in recent years but there is still little information concerning associations between the newly defined species and disease. This study examined the identities of 47 strains of oral streptococci collected from 42 confirmed cases of infective endocarditis. By means of recently described physiological schemes, the most common species identified were Streptococcus sanguis sensu stricto (31·9%), S. oralis (29·8%) and S. gordonii (12·7%). Other related species including S. mitis and “S. parasanguis” were less common. This indicates that attention should be focused on S. sanguis sensu stricto and S. oralis when considering possible pathogenic mechanisms involved in viridans streptococcal endocarditis.

/pdf/identity-of-viridans-streptococci-isolated-from-cases-of-51u6kmcbal.pdf

Identity of viridans streptococci isolated from cases of infective endocarditis

Salivary α-amylase, one of the most plentiful components in human saliva, has at least three distinct biological functions. The enzymatic activity of a-amylase undoubtedly plays a role in carbohydrate digestion. Amylase in solution binds with high affinity to a selected group of oral streptococci, a function that may contribute to bacterial clearance and nutrition. The fact that a-amylase is also found in acquired enamel pellicle suggests a role in the adhesion of a-amylase-binding bacteria. All of these biological activities seem to depend on an intact enzyme conformation. Binding of a-amylase to bacteria and teeth may have important implications for dental plaque and caries formation. a-Amylase bound to bacteria in plaque may facilitate dietary starch hydrolysis to provide additional glucose for metabolism by plaque microorganisms in close proximity to the tooth surface. The resulting lactic acid produced may be added to the pool of acid in plaque to contribute to tooth demineralization.

Salivary α-Amylase: Role in Dental Plaque and Caries Formation

Summary A collection of strains representing all the currently recognised species of oral or viridans streptococci (Streptococcus sanguis, S. parasanguis, S. gordonii, S. oralis, S. mitis, S. salivarius, S. vestibularis, S. anginosus, S. constellatus, S. intermedius, S. mutans and S. sobrinus) were tested for the production of a range of glycosidase activities with 4-methylumbelliferyl-linked fluorogenic substrates, and for reactions in a range of conventional fermentation and hydrolytic tests. The resulting biochemical scheme, consisting of 14 tests, enabled the differentiation of all these species and distinguished three biotypes within S. sanguis. The scheme reported here represents an improvement over currently available schemes for the identification of viridans streptococci.

A scheme for the identification of viridans streptococci

The ability of 51 strains, belonging to Streptococcus sanguis, ‘S. mitior’, S. oralis and related groups, to bind salivary amylase was studied. Most strains were grouped according to their DNA-related and then compared using 14 phenotypic tests. S. mitis, ‘S. mitior’ and three relatively new groups of strains (©R’, ‘MGH’ and ‘Tufted mitior’) bound salivary amylase, while strains of S. sanguis and S. oralis did not. The ability of strains to bind amylase or not was remarkably consistent within groups and the test proved to be reproducible, rapid and easy to perform. Combination of the amylase-binding test with 6 other conventioanal physiological tests allowed the construction of a dichotomous identification key which correclty identified 95% of strains for which genetic data was available. These findigs suggest that the ability of organisms to bind salivary amylase could become a key test in identification schemes for certain oral streptococci.

Amylase‐binding as a discriminition among oral streptococci

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Amylase‐binding as a discriminition among oral streptococci