Periodontal pathogens are
bacteria that have been shown to significantly contribute to
periodontitis.
Dental plaque, the precursor of periodontal disease, is a complex biofilm consisting mainly of bacteria, but also
archaea,
protozoa, fungi and viruses. Viruses that specifically infect bacteria—
bacteriophages—are most common in the oral cavity. Viral roles in the progression of periodontal disease as of 2017 remains poorly explored.[1]
Although approximately 700 bacterial species have been identified in the
oral cavity and nearly 300 species have been cultured and found to contribute to the
biofilm of the
periodontal pocket, there is a much smaller number of species that have been shown to be more closely related to the initial
incidence and continued persistence of periodontitis, including:[2]
^Pinto, Graça; Silva, Maria Daniela; Peddey, Mark; Sillankorva, Sanna; Azeredo, Joana (2016). "The role of bacteriophages in periodontal health and disease". Future Microbiology. 11 (10): 1359–1369.
doi:
10.2217/fmb-2016-0081.
PMID27633580.
^Picolos, Doros K; Lerche-Sehm, Julia; Abron, Armin; Fine, James B; Papapanou, Panos N (2005). "Infection patterns in chronic and aggressive periodontitis". Journal of Clinical Periodontology. 32 (10): 1055–61.
doi:
10.1111/j.1600-051X.2005.00828.x.
PMID16174268.