Biofilms are highly organized polymicrobial communities that are embedded in an extracellular matrix and formed on natural and artificial surfaces. In the oral cavity, biofilms are formed not only on natural teeth, but also on restorative materials, prosthetic constructions, and dental implants. Oral diseases like caries, gingivitis, periodontitis, and also pulp inflammation are associated with biofilms. This publication is an up-to-date overview on oral biofilms from different clinically relevant perspectives. Experts comprising basic researchers and clinicians report on recent research relating to biofilms - from general summaries to recommendations for daily clinical work. This book covers all aspects of oral biofilms, including models used in the laboratory, biofilms in dental water unit lines, periodontal and peri-implant biofilms, caries-related biofilms, halitosis, endodontic biofilms, and Candida infections, as well as biofilms on dental materials and on orthodontic appliances. Several chapters deal with anti-biofilm therapy, from the efficacy of mechanical methods and the use of antimicrobials, to alternative concepts. This publication is particularly recommended to dental medicine students, practitioners, other oral healthcare professionals, and scientists with an interest in translational research on biofilms.

“A must read if you truly want to understand oral health and how it affects the health of your overall systemic well-being . . . a healthcare gem.” —Dr. Mark Burhenne, DDS of Ask the Dentist It’s a popular theory that good health starts in your gut. But think about it: your mouth is the gateway to your gut. The good and bad bacteria in your mouth are directly linked to the bacteria in your digestive system. The oral microbiome can also affect illnesses and diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, certain cancers, and more. That’s why maintaining a balanced oral microbiome is one of the most important things you can do to set a solid foundation for your overall health. Heal Your Oral Microbiome is the first book out there to focus exclusively on the oral microbiome. In these pages, you’ll learn how your mouth paves the way for full-body health, as well as how to identify common habits and practices that could be negatively impacting your unique microbiome. You’ll also discover important steps you can take to heal and balance your mouth’s microbes to boost your immune system, fight a variety of illnesses and create a solid foundation for your overall well-being. “Wow. It’s high time a solid, clinician and consumer-friendly book is delivered on the oral microbiome, is it not? Cass Nelson-Dooley began researching the topic years ago, and is now arguably one of the foremost leading experts on integrative interventions for oral health.” —Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, author of Younger You

Although we can't usually see them, microbes are essential for every part of human life-indeed all life on Earth. The emerging field of metagenomics offers a new way of exploring the microbial world that will transform modern microbiology and lead to practical applications in medicine, agriculture, alternative energy, environmental remediation, and many others areas. Metagenomics allows researchers to look at the genomes of all of the microbes in an environment at once, providing a "meta" view of the whole microbial community and the complex interactions within it. It's a quantum leap beyond traditional research techniques that rely on studying-one at a time-the few microbes that can be grown in the laboratory. At the request of the National Science Foundation, five Institutes of the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Energy, the National Research Council organized a committee to address the current state of metagenomics and identify obstacles current researchers are facing in order to determine how to best support the field and encourage its success. The New Science of Metagenomics recommends the establishment of a "Global Metagenomics Initiative" comprising a small number of large-scale metagenomics projects as well as many medium- and small-scale projects to advance the technology and develop the standard practices needed to advance the field. The report also addresses database needs, methodological challenges, and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in supporting this new field.

Only recently have we begun to appreciate the role of microbiome in health and disease. Environmental factors and change of life style including diet significantly shape human microbiome that in turn appears to modify gut barrier function affecting nutrient & electrolyte absorption and inflammation. Approaches that can reverse the gut dysbiosis represent as reasonable and novel strategies for restoring the balance between host and microbes. In the book, we offer summary and discussion on the advances in understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms of microbial host interactions in human diseases. We will not only discuss intestinal bacterial community, but also viruses, fungi and oral microbiome. Microbiome studies will facilitate diagnosis, functional studies, drug development and personalized medicine. Thus, this book will further highlight the microbiome in the context of health and disease, focusing on mechanistic concepts that underlie the complex relationships between host and microbes.

Acclaimed oral health expert and wellness pioneer, Dr. Gerry Curatola, explores the bi-directional relationship between the health of your mouth and your body, and provides a groundbreaking program for creating a healthy mouth that will help maintain a healthy body. The mouth acts as mirror and a gateway and reflects what is happening in the rest of your body and the health of your mouth appears to have a profound impact on the rest of your body. Chronic, low-grade oral disease is a major source of inflammation throughout your body, which can sometimes result in serious systemic problems, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and premature birth. The Mouth-Body Connection educates the reader on the natural ecology of the mouth. The oral microbiome consists of communities of 20 billion microorganisms of more than six hundred types-keeping these communities balanced is the key to well-being. Dr. Curatola's program, thirty years in the making, helps to restore microbiome balance and reduce health-destroying inflammation. The Curatola Care Program fosters a healthy oral microbiome by means of diet, supplements, exercise, and stress reduction. Four weeks of meal plans and fifty delicious recipes will convince you that eating for balance can be a treat. There are supplement schedules for each stage, two high-intensity band workouts that take only 15 minutes twice a week, relaxation techniques, and yoga postures to fight inflammation. In just four weeks, you will reboot your body and begin to take control of your health. Best of all, your brilliant smile will prove that you have never felt better.

Microbes can now be found in nearly every niche the human body offers. However, the complexity of the microbiota of a given site depends on the particular environmental condition thereof. Only microbes which are able to grow under these conditions, will prevail. Recent publications imply that the microorganisms do not only have multiple, critical consequences for host physiological processes such as postnatal development, immunomodulation and energy supply, but also effects on neurodevelopment, behavior and cognition. Within this book we will focus on the techniques behind these developments, epigenomics and on the various parts of the human body which are inhabited by microorganism such as the mouth, the gut, the skin and the vagina. In addition, chapters are dedicated to the possible manipulations of the microbiota by probiotics, prebiotics and faecal transplantation.