About this Research Topic
Modern dentistry is not imaginable without dental materials. Diverse materials are used in all fields of dentistry, e.g., conservative dentistry, prosthodontics, orthodontics, periodontology, and implantology. Modern, technologically advanced materials are made of metal, ceramic, biopolymers, or xenogeneic substances. Although most modern dental materials exhibit excellent biocompatibility, their impact on the oral health is not entirely understood.
Oral health is based on the homeostasis between the oral microbiome and the host immune system. The establishing of oral microbiome is a very complicated process. The oral cavity is a highly selective environment, which supports colonization only by several species. Initial colonization and microbiome establishment are primarily determined by the properties of the colonized surface like a tooth or oral mucosa. Host immunity is another crucial factor controlling the growth of bacteria. The insertion of any dental material into the oral cavity might influence the microbe-host homeostasis. First, new material provides a new kind of surface with new unique properties. This might support the growth of some new bacterial species. Second, dental materials might influence the host immune response. Both of these factors will result in the alteration of the microbe-host homeostasis in the oral cavity. However, the potential effect of many dental materials on the oral health and on the microbe-host interaction still needs to be understood.
This Research Topic focuses, but is not limited to, the following subtopics:
1. The microbial colonization of dental materials in the oral cavity.
2. Effect of different dental treatments on the oral microbiome.
3. Immunogenicity of dental materials.
4. Effect of dental materials on the host immune response.
Authors are encouraged to submit Original Research studies as well as Review papers within the scope of this topic.
Keywords: Microbial colonization, Oral microbiome, Dental materials, Host immune response
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
