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- Title
On the Pathogenicity of the Oral Biofilm: A Critical Review from a Biological, Evolutionary, and Nutritional Point of View.
- Authors
Woelber, Johan Peter; Al-Ahmad, Ali; Alt, Kurt Werner
- Abstract
Plaque control is one of the most recommended approaches in the prevention and therapy of caries and periodontal diseases. However, although most individuals in industrialized countries already perform daily oral hygiene, caries and periodontal diseases still are the most common diseases of mankind. This raises the question of whether plaque control is really a causative and effective approach to the prevention of these diseases. From an evolutionary, biological, and nutritional perspective, dental biofilms have to be considered a natural phenomenon, whereas several changes in human lifestyle factors during modern evolution are not "natural". These lifestyle factors include the modern "Western diet" (rich in sugar and saturated fats and low in micronutrients), smoking, sedentary behavior, and continuous stress. This review hypothesizes that not plaque itself but rather these modern, unnatural lifestyle factors are the real causes of the high prevalence of caries and periodontal diseases besides several other non-communicable diseases. Accordingly, applying evolutionary and lifestyle medicine in dentistry would offer a causative approach against oral and common diseases, which would not be possible with oral hygiene approaches used on their own.
- Subjects
ORAL microbiology; RISK factors of periodontal disease; PERIODONTAL disease prevention; LIFESTYLES; WESTERN diet; DENTAL plaque; ORAL hygiene; NUTRITION; ORAL health; BIOFILMS; SMOKING; DENTAL caries; PSYCHOLOGICAL stress; DISEASE risk factors; DISEASE complications
- Publication
Nutrients, 2022, Vol 14, Issue 10, p2174
- ISSN
2072-6643
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/nu14102174