About this Research Topic

Background

Microbial interactions in dental plaque biofilms are enormously complex. Both antagonistic and beneficial interactions are in play between the species. Depending on the circumstances, e.g., factors favoring dysbiosis, the inter-species interactions greatly contribute to survival, persistence, and pathogenicity of the microorganisms in diverse oral niches. Within the oral cavity, these diverse niches present different microenvironments that support colonization by specific microbial species. Thus, tissue-tropism is an important aspect of host-microbe interaction. Further, in the process of immune evasion and subversion of host immune response by bacteria, particular species play a crucially important role by impairing the bactericidal activity of host immune cells. It is believed that this kind of subversive activities by certain bacterial species disrupts host-microbe homeostasis and leads to the emergence of dysbiosis and eventually sets the stage for an infection.

From an oral health perspective, approaches that comprise direct clinical intervention may help restore host-microbe homeostasis. However, more sophisticated approaches targeting inter-species interactions in the dental plaque biofilm community, or host inflammatory signaling pathways hijacked by pathogens may provide better strategies for controlling oral infectious diseases. Inarguably, numerous studies on microbial interactions using a dual-species or multispecies biofilm model using a limited number of species have enabled us to get a greater understanding of microbial communities in plaque biofilms. However, approaches aimed at understanding interspecies interactions that trigger holistic community functions, using more realistic models, are needed to develop newer strategies to achieve improved oral health.

Frontiers in Oral Health is a new journal covering topics in all major specialized research areas on oral health. In this Research Topic, the Editors invite manuscripts on bacterial biofilms, their properties, interspecies interactions, and bacterial interactions with other microorganisms such as fungi and viruses in the oral cavity. This topic also aims to publish articles on microbial interactions with host cells and consequential inflammatory signaling.

Keywords: Dental Plaque Biofilm, Microbial Interaction, Inflammation, Oral Infection, Oral Health

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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