The Microbial World on Your Teeth
Have you ever realized just how important your teeth are? Smile. Whether you know it or not, your smile is a huge part of who you are. Your smile is one of the first things people will notice about you. It is one of the most effective ways to show joy and bring joy to others. This is just one reason why taking good care of our teeth is so vital. Have you ever wondered why you need to brush your teeth so often? Most people know that they are supposed to brush their teeth multiple times a day, but do not understand the importance of good oral hygiene. Some people simply don’t brush or floss at all. Interestingly, there are a vast number of microbes and bacteria that grow on your teeth throughout your …show more content…
Dental plaque is a diverse microbial community that forms on the surface of your teeth and is embedded in a matrix of polymers that originates from bacteria and saliva. Plaque develops when foods that contain carbohydrates, such as sugars and starches, are frequently left on your teeth. When you eat or drink foods such as milk, soft drinks, raisins, desserts, or candy, these foods can combine with the natural bacteria in your mouth and create an acid. This acid then combines with saliva and old food particles to form a layer of plaque. (Saini) This phenomenon is a perfect example of a microbial …show more content…
However, a professor by the name of Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek rediscovered a microbiologic phenomenon. He found that microorganisms will attach to and universally grow on surfaces that are exposed, which led to studies that showed how these microorganisms that aggregate on surfaces, or biofilms, exhibit a particular phenotype in regard to gene transcription as well as growth rate. These biofilm microorganisms have demonstrated distinct mechanisms by initially attaching to an exposed surface, developing a community structure and ecosystem, and finally detaching. A biofilm is defined as “an assemblage of microbial cells that is irreversibly associated (not removed by gentle rinsing) with a surface and enclosed in a matrix of primarily polysaccharide material. Noncellular materials such as mineral crystals, corrosion particles, clay or silt particles, or blood components, depending on the environment in which the biofilm has developed, may also be found in the biofilm matrix (Donlan).” Biofilm associated microorganisms are different from planktonic, or freely suspended organisms in regard to which distinct genes are transcribed. They can also be differentiated by their slower rate of growth and their production of extracellular polymeric matrix, or EPM, which is Most of us
Have you ever realized just how important your teeth are? Smile. Whether you know it or not, your smile is a huge part of who you are. Your smile is one of the first things people will notice about you. It is one of the most effective ways to show joy and bring joy to others. This is just one reason why taking good care of our teeth is so vital. Have you ever wondered why you need to brush your teeth so often? Most people know that they are supposed to brush their teeth multiple times a day, but do not understand the importance of good oral hygiene. Some people simply don’t brush or floss at all. Interestingly, there are a vast number of microbes and bacteria that grow on your teeth throughout your …show more content…
Dental plaque is a diverse microbial community that forms on the surface of your teeth and is embedded in a matrix of polymers that originates from bacteria and saliva. Plaque develops when foods that contain carbohydrates, such as sugars and starches, are frequently left on your teeth. When you eat or drink foods such as milk, soft drinks, raisins, desserts, or candy, these foods can combine with the natural bacteria in your mouth and create an acid. This acid then combines with saliva and old food particles to form a layer of plaque. (Saini) This phenomenon is a perfect example of a microbial …show more content…
However, a professor by the name of Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek rediscovered a microbiologic phenomenon. He found that microorganisms will attach to and universally grow on surfaces that are exposed, which led to studies that showed how these microorganisms that aggregate on surfaces, or biofilms, exhibit a particular phenotype in regard to gene transcription as well as growth rate. These biofilm microorganisms have demonstrated distinct mechanisms by initially attaching to an exposed surface, developing a community structure and ecosystem, and finally detaching. A biofilm is defined as “an assemblage of microbial cells that is irreversibly associated (not removed by gentle rinsing) with a surface and enclosed in a matrix of primarily polysaccharide material. Noncellular materials such as mineral crystals, corrosion particles, clay or silt particles, or blood components, depending on the environment in which the biofilm has developed, may also be found in the biofilm matrix (Donlan).” Biofilm associated microorganisms are different from planktonic, or freely suspended organisms in regard to which distinct genes are transcribed. They can also be differentiated by their slower rate of growth and their production of extracellular polymeric matrix, or EPM, which is Most of us