Tackling oral biofilm at home

Dental plaque is the leading culprit for many oral diseases, and without proper management, patients are at a high risk of developing gingival diseases and caries. The oral microbiota, taking the form of a sticky biofilm, is a key player in maintaining a healthy oral environment.

Certain stressors can encourage the development of oral diseases: various health conditions, lifestyle factors and habits can also cause this carefully balanced environment to skew in favour of disease development and progression. The dental team must remain vigilant when supporting patients and educating them on how they can manage biofilm at home.

The science behind biofilm

Biofilm occurs naturally on all oral surfaces, as “functionally and structurally organised communities of interacting microorganisms”. Health-associated biofilm contributes to an environment with a neutral pH, with microbes that have the ability to produce hydrogen peroxide (H202) and bacteriocins that could suppress disease-associated microorganisms and their growth.

Research postulates that the microbiomes associated with good oral health are in symbiosis with the host, however, certain stressors and stimuli can skew the balance and lead to dysbiosis. This might include the presence of sugars and a reduced salivary flow, leading to caries. Or, if a patient develops periodontal disease, this could be partly the result of changes in the patient’s immune response. Thus, the delicate composition of microbial communities can be easily disrupted, leading to an increased chance of disease and infection.