Introduction

Chapter 1

Introduction

Publisher Summary

Clinical oral microbiology is the study of the specimens that are taken from patients who are suspected of having infections of the mouth and surrounding tissues. The purpose of studying such samples is to obtain the information that would assist the clinician in arriving at a definitive diagnosis and in giving advice about the management of the patient, especially concerning antimicrobial therapy. The more common oral and dental infections, such as caries and periodontal diseases, are different from almost all infections in other parts of the body. In medical microbiology, infections are exogenous and caused by a single pathogenic species, whereas endogenous polymicrobial infections are more common in the mouth. Therefore, in the investigation of many oral and dental infections, it is necessary to assess qualitative and quantitative changes in the normal oral microflora, instead of screening for a single non-commensal pathogen, as occurs in the majority of medical investigations.

Clinical oral microbiology is the study of specimens taken from patients suspected of having infections of the mouth and surrounding tissues. The main purpose of studying such samples is to obtain information which will assist the clinician in arriving at a definitive diagnosis and in giving advice about the management of the patient, especially concerning antimicrobial therapy.

Since many dentists learn about the principles of microbiology during their medical microbiology course, it is important to emphasize that the more common oral and dental infections, e.g. caries and periodontal diseases, are different from almost all infections in other parts of the body. In medical microbiology, infections are often exogenous and caused by a single pathogenic species, whereas endogenous polymicrobial infections are more common in the mouth. As a result, in the investigation of many oral and dental infections, it is necessary to assess both qualitative and quantitative changes in the normal oral microflora, instead of screening for a single non-commensal pathogen, as occurs in the majority of medical investigations.

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  5. Viral infections
  6. Microbiology of periodontal diseases

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Mar 12, 2016 | Posted by in General Dentistry | Comments Off on Introduction

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