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Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Innovations in Oral Diseases

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Guest Editor
Periodontal Medicine Center, 3-15-1 Kurosaki, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu 806-0021, Fukuoka, Japan
Interests: dentistry; molecular biology; functional basic dentistry; dentistry; periodontal dentistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advances in molecular biology have brought about major changes in diagnosis, treatment, and preventive measures in the field of dentistry. Furthermore, with the advancement of molecular-based analysis, many scientific papers have been published on the relationship between periodontal disease and lifestyle-related diseases all over the world. In light of this background, appropriate diagnosis of oral diseases at the molecular level and treatment based on that diagnosis are now considered important in current dentistry.

The purpose of this special issue is to provide the latest knowledge on diagnostic methods for various oral diseases, including periodontal disease and peri-implantitis, and the therapeutic effects of drug therapy.

Expected topics:

Molecular biology, oral disease treatment, oral disease diagnosis, drug therapy, regenerative therapy, oral microbiome

Prof. Dr. Tatsuji Nishihara
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • molecular-based analysis
  • diagnosis of oral disease
  • oral disease treatment
  • regeneration therapy
  • drug therapy
  • periodontitis
  • implantitis

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

20 pages, 819 KB  
Review
Measuring the Invisible: Microbial Diagnostics for Periodontitis—A Narrative Review
by Michihiko Usui, Suzuka Miyagi, Rieko Yamanaka, Yuichiro Oka, Kaoru Kobayashi, Tsuyoshi Sato, Kotaro Sano, Satoru Onizuka, Maki Inoue, Wataru Fujii, Masanori Iwasaki, Wataru Ariyoshi, Keisuke Nakashima and Tatsuji Nishihara
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(20), 10172; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262010172 - 19 Oct 2025
Abstract
Periodontitis is a biofilm-driven inflammatory disease in which conventional indices (probing depth, clinical attachment level, and radiographs) quantify tissue destruction without capturing the biology of infection. In this review, we synthesized microbiological diagnostics, from chairside tools to omics. We outline sampling strategies and [...] Read more.
Periodontitis is a biofilm-driven inflammatory disease in which conventional indices (probing depth, clinical attachment level, and radiographs) quantify tissue destruction without capturing the biology of infection. In this review, we synthesized microbiological diagnostics, from chairside tools to omics. We outline sampling strategies and emphasize the quantitative monitoring of bacterial load. Enzymatic assays (e.g., N-benzoyl-DL-arginine-2-naphthylamide hydrolysis assay test) measure functional activity at the point of care. Immunological methods include rapid immunochromatography for Porphyromonas gingivalis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the high-throughput measurement of bacterial antigens. Molecular platforms encompass quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) (TaqMan, SYBR, multiplex panels; propidium monoazide quantitative-qPCR for viable cells), checkerboard DNA–DNA hybridization for semi-quantitative community profiling, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)/molecular beacon-LAMP for portable isothermal detection, and microarrays. Complementary modalities such as fluorescent in situ hybridization, next-generation sequencing, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy provide spatial, ecological, and biochemical resolutions. We discuss the limitations of current approaches, including sampling bias, presence–activity discordance, semi-quantitation, method biases, limited strain/function resolution, low-biomass artifacts, and lack of validated cutoffs. To address these challenges, we propose a pragmatic hybrid strategy: site-specific quantitative panels combined with activity and host-response markers interpreted alongside clinical metrics under standardized quality assurance/quality control. Priorities include outcome-linked thresholds, strain-aware/functional panels, robust point-of-care chemistry, and harmonized protocols to enable personalized periodontal care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Innovations in Oral Diseases)
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