Structure and composition of early biofilms formed on dental implants are complex, diverse, subject-specific and dynamic.

Abstract

Biofilm-associated peri-implant infections pose a major problem in modern medicine. The understanding of biofilm development is hampered by biofilm complexity and the lack of robust clinical models. This study comprehensively characterized the dynamics of early biofilm formation in the transmucosal passage of implant abutments in 12 patients. Biofilm structures and compositions were complex, diverse, subject-specific and dynamic. A total of 371 different bacterial species were detected. 100 phylogenetically diverse unnamed species and 35 taxonomically diverse disease-associated species comprised an average 4.3% and 3.1% of the community, respectively, but reached up to 12.7% and 21.7% in some samples. Oral taxa formed numerous positive associations and clusters and were characterized by a high potential for metabolic interactions. The subspecies diversity was highly patient-specific and species-dependent, with 1427 ASVs identified in total. The unprecedented depth of early biofilm characterization in this study will support the development of individualized preventive and early diagnostic strategies.