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Pathogenesis of Periodontal Diseases pp 21–29Cite as

Subgingival Biofilms as Etiological Factors of Periodontal Disease

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Abstract

A biofilm is a structured community of microbial cells embedded in a self-produced (hydrated) matrix extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) and adherent to an inert or living surface, as defined by Costerton [1] and modified in 2012 by IUPAC [2]. Microbial cells growing in a biofilm differ physiologically from planktonic cells of the same organism, which are swimming or floating single cells in a liquid medium. Although the fact that microorganisms are able to grow attached to solid surfaces was reported already in 1936 by Zobell [3], it took more than 40 years until it was recognized that in nature most bacteria grow in biofilms attached to a surface rather than growing planktonically [1, 4]. A cell switching to the biofilm mode of growth undergoes a phenotypic shift in behavior with many genes being differentially regulated [5]. Biofilms may be formed in response to factors such as recognition of attachment sites on a surface, nutritional signals, or protection from harmful conditions [6–8]. Living in a biofilm represents a universal survival strategy of microorganisms on our planet. It allows microorganisms to colonize new ecological niches and survive in hostile environments thereby adopting biofilm structure in response to environmental conditions [9, 10]. The dense and perplexed structure of a biofilm not only hampers diffusion of molecules, but it also forms a barrier against the host’s defense mechanisms such as antibodies, lysozyme, or against other antimicrobial agents.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, Clinic of Preventive Dentistry, Periodontology and Cariology, Center of Dental Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland

    Thomas Thurnheer & Kai Bao

  2. Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

    Georgios N. Belibasakis

Authors
  1. Thomas Thurnheer
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  2. Kai Bao
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  3. Georgios N. Belibasakis
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Correspondence to Thomas Thurnheer .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institute Department of Dental Medicine, Huddinge, Sweden

    Nagihan Bostanci

  2. Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institute Department of Dental Medicine, Huddinge, Sweden

    Georgios N. Belibasakis

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Thurnheer, T., Bao, K., Belibasakis, G.N. (2018). Subgingival Biofilms as Etiological Factors of Periodontal Disease. In: Bostanci, N., Belibasakis, G. (eds) Pathogenesis of Periodontal Diseases. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53737-5_3

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