[Oral bacterial flora and its pathogenic potential].

Abstract

The oral flora is a complex body formed by at least a hundred bacterial species which can be more or less regular residents in the oral cavity. Thanks to a developing taxonomy related to progress made in bacterial identification, these oral species can be separated into five groups based Gram staining and morphology: the Gram positive cocci group (Streptococcus, Staphylococcus and related geni), the Gram negative cocci group (Neisseria, Veillonella and related geni), the Gram positive bacilli group (Corynebacterium, Actinomyces, Lactobacillus, Methanobrevibacter and related geni), the Gram negative bacilli group (Haemophilus, Campylobacter, Bacteroides and related geni) and finally the spirochete group (Treponema).