Open AccessChanges in the structure and density of oral plaque biofilms with increasing plaque age
Author(s) -
Wood S.R.,
Kirkham J.,
Shore R.C.,
Brookes S.J.,
Robinson C.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
fems microbiology ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.377
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1574-6941
pISSN - 0168-6496
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2002.tb00926.x
Subject(s) - biofilm , confocal laser scanning microscopy , confocal , biology , confocal microscopy , confocal laser scanning microscope , dental plaque , microbiology and biotechnology , laser microscopy , microscopy , bacteria , pathology , biomedical engineering , optics , medicine , genetics , physics
In common with many biofilms in nature, oral plaque has been shown to have a heterogeneous structure as shown by confocal microscopy. In the present study we have used confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to determine changes in the structure of plaque biofilms with increasing plaque age. Natural human plaque biofilms were formed using the Leeds in situ device. Plaque biofilms were allowed to form for periods of 2 days, 1 week, 2 weeks and 4 weeks before removal of the devices and immediate imaging using the CLSM. Confocal imaging showed that the biofilms retained their heterogeneous appearance at each of the time points studied but appeared to have a tendency to become somewhat more dense with increasing time. Image analysis demonstrated that the percentage of biomass within each biofilm increased over time, particularly between 2 days and 1 week, and with increasing depth into the biofilms. In addition, using the CLSM we were able to demonstrate changes in the bacterial flora of the biofilms with time, with many more filamentous forms being present at the 2‐ and 4‐week time points.