Bacterial plaque is a soft, sticky, almost invisible biofilm containing millions of organisms that adhere to tooth surfaces, dental appliances, restorations, and oral mucosa. More specifically, oral biofilm is “a dense, transparent,…

Legionnaire’s disease is a respiratory illness associated with the inhalation or aspiration of water sources (aerosols) contaminated with Legionella pneumophila bacteria. There are more than 50 Legionella species with L. pneumophila being…

Affecting the quality of life for more than 10 million Americans, temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are musculoskeletal conditions associated with pain and dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and muscles of mastication. The…

In 2018 the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) and the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) published a new classification system for periodontal health and disease, changing the way oral health professionals consider clinical…

Xerostomia, or perceived dry mouth, has a broad range of prevalence, ranging from 5.5% to 65%, while also considered under-reported by patients and under-recognized by practitioners. As such, it is important for oral health professionals to…

Periodontal diseases are related to an immunoinflammatory response to various types of oral biofilm. They affect approximately 42% of United States adults. Chronic periodontitis is characterized by alveolar bone loss, attachment loss, and…

A child’s level of cooperation and ability to follow instructions from the dental team directly influence how well a restorative or surgical procedure can be performed and even what materials can be used. It is the clinician’s…

Oral health professionals are exposed to infectious agents that can be transmitted to and from clinicians and patients. Fortunately, there are myriad strategies to maintain a safe environment—from effective surface disinfection to donning…

Some dental implants fail. While many ideas concerning the genesis of this failure have been proposed, at present, most would argue that bacteria are strongly associated with peri-implant disease and implant loss. Numerous secondary factors…

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from respiratory infections (including the common cold to flu-like or pneumonia symptoms), as well as gastrointestinal symptoms—all which may or may not appear and…