Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue stems from the need to shed light on many aspects of oral health, and on how the presence of a microbiota could affect it. The oral microbiota is represented by microorganisms that live in symbiosis in the oral cavity. This complex ecosystem is mainly composed of bacteria, of which there are as many as 700 species, as well as protozoa, fungi, and viruses, which coexist with bacteria. The peculiarity lies in the ability of bacteria to aggregate with each other by adhering, through salivary proteins, to the surface of the teeth. From this aggregation, a biofilm originates, which constitutes the dental plaque, which, when calcified, can lead to the formation of tartar. In a healthy subject and with good hygiene, a balance is normally established in the oral ecosystem between the numerous bacterial species present and the organism’s defense systems. However, variation in this equilibrium could determine the origin of pathologies of the oral cavity, in particular of periodontal disease.

The oral microbiota seems to have an important role in the development of new diagnostic and/or treatment methods for particular pathologies, even if not strictly related to the oropharyngeal tract. From this, we could deduce how certain oral bacteria are involved in the development and course of different clinical conditions. The oral microbiota could therefore also be influenced by systemic health and by some environmental factors such as diet, smoking habits or alcohol. It is important to highlight whether or not a correlation exists with the surgical, rehabilitative or healing phases. The presence of biomarkers that may or may not identify an oral health status is essential and would also become an important signal for the early diagnosis of systemic diseases.

Dr. Luca Fiorillo
Prof. Dr. Marco Cicciù
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• oral health
• dentistry
• oral biology
• biomarkers
• oral pathology
• oral microbiota
• bacteria
• infection
• wound healing
• periodontology
• oral surgery
• biomaterials
• animal studies
• human studies
• biofilm
• plaque