Bacterial Colonization of the Tooth Surface Flashcards
does a mature biofilm consist of only one species of bacteria?
no
how does the biofilm develop?
bacterial species are stacked one on top of the other
______ is cell-to-cell adherence of one oral bacterium to another
coaggregation
is coaggregation random? if not, explain
no it is not random: each bacterial strain only has a limited set of bacteria to which they are able to adhere
the first bacteria to colonize to the tooth surface are ____
non-pathogenic
can other bacteria colonize to the tooth surface if the non-pathogenic bacteria are not present?
no, the early colonizers lay the foundation for the growth of the biofilm
until the early colonizers attach to the tooth what are the pathogens doing?
freely floating
when can free floating bacteria join the biofilm?
when signals are sent from the early colonizers saying that conditions are favorable
early colonizers cannot attach to the pellicle, but have the ability to ____ with the streptococcal species
coaggregate
are most of the periodontal pathogens early, intermediate, or late colonizers?
late
can late colonies attach to the early colonizers?
no, the late colonizing bacteria can only attach to the intermediate bacteria
can free floating periodontal pathogens cause disease?
no
how can the biofilm be disrupted? and then what happens?
by brushing and flossing it can be disrupted but then the biofilm process starts all over again with the early colonizers
the organization of bacteria within a biofilm is ____
not random
what color are early colonizers that are believed to be compatible with gingival health?
yellow and green complexes
