Non-specific oral microbiota and dental enamel

The non-specific oral microbiota and dental enamel represent a complex biological interface rather than a single molecular target. The oral microbiota consists of a diverse community of over 700 species of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that form biofilms on tooth surfaces (Dewhirst et al., 2010, Journal of Bacteriology). Dental enamel is the highly mineralized outer layer of the tooth, primarily composed of hydroxyapatite crystals (StatPearls, 2023). In a healthy state, the microbiota exists in symbiosis; however, dysbiosis can lead to the overgrowth of acidogenic species that ferment dietary sugars to produce organic acids. These acids lower the local pH, causing the demineralization of the enamel and leading to dental caries (NIH/NIDCR, 2021). Therapeutic interventions typically involve non-specific antimicrobials to reduce microbial load or mineralizing agents like fluoride that promote the formation of acid-resistant fluorapatite (CDC, 2023). Because this target encompasses an entire ecosystem and a structural tissue, it is considered a physiological system rather than a discrete pharmacological receptor.

Other names

Oral microbiomeDental biofilmTooth enamelOral microfloraDental pellicleDental plaque

Drugs targeting this system act through the non-specific antimicrobial inhibition of bacterial growth, disruption of biofilm architecture, or by promoting the remineralization of the enamel hydroxyapatite lattice to form acid-resistant fluorapatite.