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Abstract
The human oral cavity harbors diverse communities of microbes that live as biofilms:
highly ordered, surface-associated assemblages of microbes embedded in an extracellular
matrix. Oral microbial communities contribute to human health by fine-tuning immune
responses and reducing dietary nitrate. Dental caries and periodontal disease are
together the most prevalent microbially-mediated human diseases, worldwide. Both of
these oral diseases are known to be caused not by the introduction of exogenous pathogens
to the oral environment, but rather by a homeostasis breakdown that leads to changes
in the structure of the microbial communities present in states of health. Both dental
caries and periodontal disease are mediated by synergistic interactions within communities
and both diseases are further driven by specific host inputs: diet and behavior in
the case of dental caries and immune system interactions in the case of periodontal
disease. Changes in community structure (taxonomic identity and abundance) are well
documented during the transition from health to disease. In this review, changes in
biofilm physical structure during the transition from oral health to disease and the
concomitant relationship between structure and community function will be emphasized.