Oral biofilm development

Oral biofilm development is a multistep process in which communities of microorganisms adhere to and colonize surfaces in the oral cavity (such as teeth, dental materials, or soft tissues), forming a structured, protective extracellular matrix known as biofilm. This process involves initial microbial adhesion, proliferation, maturation, and eventual dispersion, leading to complex microbial ecosystems resilient to antimicrobial drugs and immune clearance. Oral biofilms are primarily responsible for dental plaque and are implicated in diseases such as dental caries, periodontitis, peri-implantitis, and can serve as reservoirs for systemic infections. Controlling oral biofilm involves diverse antimicrobial, mechanical, and targeted strategies due to their high resistance to conventional therapies

Other names

Dental biofilm formationDental plaque developmentOral microbial biofilm formation

Drugs may work by disrupting microbial adhesion, inhibiting EPS synthesis, or killing embedded bacteria; these do not target a single molecule but act via multiple anti-biofilm strategies