Publications (22) View all
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Article: Association of removable partial denture use with oral and systemic health.
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ABSTRACT: This narrative literature review aims to consider the impact of removable partial dentures (RPDs) on oral and systemic health. A review of the literature was performed using Medline/PubMed database resources up to July 2011 to identify appropriate articles that addressed the objectives of this review. This was followed by extensive hand searching using reference lists from relevant articles. The proportion of partially dentate adults who wear RPDs is increasing in many populations. A major public health challenge is to plan oral healthcare for this group of patients in whom avoidance of further tooth loss is of particular importance. RPDs have the potential to negatively impact on different aspects of oral health. There is clear evidence that RPDs increase plaque and gingivitis. However, RPDs have not clearly been shown to increase the risk for periodontitis. The risk for caries, particularly root caries, appears to be higher in wearers of RPDs. Regular recall is therefore essential to minimise the risk for dental caries, as well as periodontitis. There is no evidence to support a negative impact on nutritional status, though research in this area is particularly deficient. Furthermore, there are very few studies that have investigated whether RPDs have any impact on general health. From the limited literature available, it appears that RPDs can possibly improve quality of life, and this is relevant in the era of patient-centred care. Overall, further research is required to investigate the impact of RPDs on all aspects of oral and general health, nutritional status and quality of life.Journal of dentistry 09/2011; 39(11):711-9. · 2.00 Impact Factor -
Article: Stick to your gums: mechanisms of oral microbial adherence.
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ABSTRACT: Studies on the adherence properties of oral bacteria have been a major focus in microbiology research for several decades. The ability of bacteria to adhere to the variety of surfaces present in the oral cavity, and to become integrated within the resident microbial communities, confers growth and survival properties. Molecular analyses have revealed several families of Gram-positive bacterial surface proteins, including serine-rich repeat, antigen I/II, and pilus families, that mediate adherence to a variety of salivary and oral bacterial receptors. In Gram-negative bacteria, pili, auto-transporters, and extracellular matrix-binding proteins provide components for host tissue recognition and building of complex microbial communities. Future studies will reveal in greater detail the binding pockets for these adhesin families and their receptors. This information will be crucial for the development of new inhibitors or vaccines that target the functional regions of bacterial proteins that are involved in colonization and pathogenesis.Journal of dental research 02/2011; 90(11):1271-8. · 3.46 Impact Factor -
Article: The road to ruin: the formation of disease-associated oral biofilms.
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ABSTRACT: The colonization of oral surfaces by micro-organisms occurs in a characteristic sequence of stages, each of which is potentially amenable to external intervention. The process begins with the adhesion of bacteria to host receptors on epithelial cells or in the salivary pellicle covering tooth surfaces. Interbacterial cell-cell binding interactions facilitate the attachment of new species and increase the diversity of the adherent microbial population. Microbial growth in oral biofilms is influenced by the exchange of chemical signals, metabolites and toxic products between neighbouring cells. Bacterial cells on tooth surfaces (dental plaque) produce extracellular polymers such as complex carbohydrates and nucleic acids. These large molecules form a protective matrix that contributes to the development of dental caries and, possibly, to periodontitis. The identification of key microbial factors underlying each step in the formation of oral biofilms will provide new opportunities for preventative or therapeutic measures aimed at controlling oral infectious diseases.Oral Diseases 11/2010; 16(8):729-39. · 2.49 Impact Factor -
Article: Talk of the town: interspecies communication in oral biofilms.
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ABSTRACT: Mature dental biofilms consist of towering microcolonies in which the resident bacterial cells interact with one another and exchange messages in the form of signalling molecules and metabolites. These structures have been compared with the bustling office blocks and apartment buildings of busy cities. Social and communication networks are the lifeblood of large communities, and there is mounting evidence that mutually beneficial interactions between microbial cells are essential to the development of biofilms in the oral cavity. This review discusses the mutualistic partnerships that form between oral bacteria, and the contribution of interspecies communication to the formation of mixed microbial communities.Molecular oral microbiology. 02/2010; 25(1):4-14. -
Article: Oral multispecies biofilm development and the key role of cell-cell distance.
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ABSTRACT: Growth of oral bacteria in situ requires adhesion to a surface because the constant flow of host secretions thwarts the ability of planktonic cells to grow before they are swallowed. Therefore, oral bacteria evolved to form biofilms on hard tooth surfaces and on soft epithelial tissues, which often contain multiple bacterial species. Because these biofilms are easy to study, they have become the paradigm of multispecies biofilms. In this Review we describe the factors involved in the formation of these biofilms, including the initial adherence to the oral tissues and teeth, cooperation between bacterial species in the biofilm, signalling between the bacteria and its role in pathogenesis, and the transfer of DNA between bacteria. In all these aspects distance between cells of different species is integral for oral biofilm growth.Nature Reviews Microbiology 07/2010; 8(7):471-80. · 21.18 Impact Factor
