Premium
Dental caries is a preventable infectious disease
Author(s) -
Balakrishnan Mayooran,
Simmonds Robin S.,
Tagg John R.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
australian dental journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.701
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1834-7819
pISSN - 0045-0421
DOI - 10.1111/j.1834-7819.2000.tb00257.x
Subject(s) - streptococcus mutans , streptococcus sobrinus , dental plaque , medicine , infectious disease (medical specialty) , disease , streptococcus , dentistry , periodontal disease , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , biology , pathology , genetics
Dental caries is the most common infectious disease affecting humans. the principal causative agents are a group of streptococcal species collectively referred to as the mutans streptococci of which Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus are the most important agents of human caries. This review outlines what is currently known about these ubiquitous pathogens and discusses novel methods for elimination of these bacteria from dental plaque.