title: Physico-chemical interactions in initial microbial adhesion and relevance for biofilm formation.
abstract: This paper summarizes initial microbial adhesion events in dental plaque formation, including the physico-chemistry of the interaction between micro-organisms and solid substrata, detachment phenomena under the fluctuating shear of the oral cavity, co-adhesion between pairs of microbial strains, and biosurfactant release. A hypothesis is forwarded on how these initial events might influence the final microbial composition and structure of the plaque, although it is simultaneously emphasized that the necessary techniques for verification of the hypothesis have only recently become available, and supporting evidence is still to be collected.
authors.affiliation: Materia Technica, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Busscher
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: van der Mei
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000737:chemistry; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D017753:Ecosystem; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: D003764:Dental Materials; D013501:Surface-Active Agents