title: Prospects of oral disease control in the future - an opinion.
abstract: The mouth supports a diverse microbiota which provides major benefits to the host. On occasions, this symbiotic relationship breaks down (dysbiosis), and disease can be a consequence. We argue that progress in the control of oral diseases will depend on a paradigm shift away from approaches that have proved successful in medicine for many diseases with a specific microbial aetiology. Factors that drive dysbiosis in the mouth should be identified and, where possible, negated, reduced or removed, while antimicrobial agents delivered by oral care products may function effectively, even at sub-lethal concentrations, by modulating the activity and growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria. In this way, the beneficial activities of the resident oral microbiota will be retained and the risk of dysbiosis occurring will be reduced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, School of Dentistry, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom; PHE Porton, Salisbury, United Kingdom; p.d.marsh@leeds.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Philip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Marsh
authors.affiliation: School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Head
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, School of Dentistry, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Deirdre A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Devine
keywords: antimicrobial agents; biofilm; modelling; oral microbiome; plaque control