The oral microbiota and its relationship to dental calculus and caries

Abstract

Objectives

In this review, we provide an overview of the composition of the microbiota associated with these two dental pathologies, caries and tartar, highlighting the microbial profiles associated with each pathology.

Design

This literature review was carried out by a manual search of two electronic databases, PubMed and Web of Science (WOS), using specific keywords to the two oral pathologies dental caries and calculus.

Results

The oral microbial community is known for its complexity, and comprises hundreds of species of different micro-organisms. Many of them, under the influence of endogenous and exogenous factors, can play a role in the onset and development of oral pathologies. Analysis of the microbial profiles of caries and dental calculus revealed that Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus species are abundant in the oral microbiota associated with caries whereas their presence is less reported in dental calculus. However, the three pathogens known as the "red complex", namely Porphyromonas, Tannarella and Treponema, which are associated with the development of periodontal pathology, are strongly present in the dental calculus microbiome.

Conclusion

The microbiota composition associated with dental caries and calculus highlights specific microbial signatures for each of the two oral pathologies, underscoring their differences and microbiological complexity, while the possible relationship between the formation of dental calculus and the development of caries remains unclear.