ABSTRACT
Dr. Nikawa’s original specialty is prosthodontics, and he has been studying microbial biofilms in the oral cavity. It is estimated that 700–800 kinds of microbes are present in the oral cavity, and approximately 1011 microbes are present in 1 g of plaque. Therefore, infectious diseases in the oral cavity such as dental caries, periodontal diseases, and oral candidiasis are caused by various microbes [1]. Furthermore, it has been pointed out that plaque microbes deposited in the oral cavity can serve as a reservoir, and cause aspiration pneumonia due to their aspiration, bacteremia due to transfer into the bloodstream during tooth extraction, and even thrombosis and other conditions. We have been studying the mechanism of microbial biofilm formation in the oral cavity, and have revealed that microbial biofilm formation is deeply related to the oral microbiome, the properties of substrate surfaces such as teeth and restorations, and biological components such as body fluids, like saliva or serum.
