A unique text taking an ecological approach for dental professionals and microbiologists.

Preface vii Acknowledgements ix 1 Introduction 1 2 The mouth as a microbial habitat 8 3 The resident oral microflora 24 4 Acquisition, adherence, distribution and metabolism of the oral microflora 45 5 Dental plaque 74 6 Plaque-mediated diseases - dental caries and periodontal diseases 103 7 Orofacial bacterial infections 146 8 Antimicrobial prophylaxis 160 9 Oral fungal infections 166 10 Orofacial viral infections 180 11 Oral implications of infection in compromised patients 190 12 Infection control 204 Index 213