Well studied Periodontal pathogens are
bacteria
Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were am ...
that have been shown to significantly contribute to
periodontitis
Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, is a set of inflammatory conditions affecting the tissues surrounding the teeth. In its early stage, called gingivitis, the gums become swollen and red and may bleed. It is considered the main cau ...
.
Dental plaque
Dental plaque is a biofilm of microorganisms (mostly bacteria, but also fungi) that grows on surfaces within the mouth. It is a sticky colorless deposit at first, but when it forms tartar, it is often brown or pale yellow. It is commonly found be ...
, the precursor of periodontal disease, is a complex biofilm consisting mainly of bacteria, but also
archaea,
protozoa
Protozoa (singular: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a group of single-celled eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic, that feed on organic matter such as other microorganisms or organic tissues and debris. Histor ...
, fungi and viruses. Viruses that specifically infect bacteria -
bacteriophages - are most common in the oral cavity. Viral roles in the progression of periodontal disease as of 2017 remains poorly explored.
Although approximately 700 bacterial species have been identified in the
oral cavity
In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on t ...
and nearly 300 species have been cultured and found to contribute to the
biofilm
A biofilm comprises any syntrophic consortium of microorganisms in which cells stick to each other and often also to a surface. These adherent cells become embedded within a slimy extracellular matrix that is composed of extracellular ...
of the
periodontal pocket, there is a much smaller number of species that have been shown to be more closely related to the initial
incidence and continued persistence of periodontitis, including:
* ''
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans
''Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans'' is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobe, nonmotile bacterium that is often found in association with localized aggressive periodontitis, a severe infection of the periodontium. It is also suspected to b ...
''
* ''
Porphyromonas gingivalis''
* ''
Tannerella forsythia
''Tannerella forsythia'' is an anaerobic, Gram-negative bacterial species of the Bacteroidota phylum. It has been implicated in periodontal diseases and is a member of the red complex of periodontal pathogens. ''T. forsythia'' was previous ...
'' (formerly ''Bacteroides forsythus'')
* ''
Treponema denticola''
* ''
Fusobacterium nucleatum
''Fusobacterium nucleatum'' is a Gram negative, anaerobic oral bacterium, commensal to the human oral cavity, that plays a role in periodontal disease. This organism is commonly recovered from different monocultured microbial and mixed infecti ...
''
* ''
Prevotella intermedia''
* ''
Prevotella nigrescens
''Prevotella nigrescens'' is a species of bacterium.
''Prevotella nigrescens'' has a gram negative gram stain. When ''P. nigrescens'' microflora colonize they trigger an over-aggressive response from the immune system and increase the incidence ...
''
* ''
Eikenella corrodens''
* ''
Eubacterium nodatum''
* ''
Parvimonas micra'' (formerly ''
Peptostreptococcus micros or Micromonas micros)''
* ''
Streptococcus intermedius''
* ''
Campylobacter rectus''
* ''
Capnocytophaga sp.''
A number of types of fungi, especially ''
Candida'' spp., also play a smaller but not insignificant role in periodontal disease.
Periodiontal disease and obesity initiation marker
*
Selenomonas noxia
See also
Red complex
References
{{Periodontology
Dentistry
Periodontology