Main description:

This book provides a wide-ranging update on the associations between oral infections and general health. Detailed consideration is given to the underlying mechanisms or pathways linking oral infections to general health, including metastatic spread of infection from the oral cavity as a result of transient bacteremia, metastatic injury from the effects of circulating oral microbial toxins, and metastatic inflammation caused by immunological dysfunction induced by oral microorganisms. The book also reviews the complex structure and development of oral biofilms in health and disease, and the molecular tools that are currently available for their analysis. The advantages and limitations of such techniques, as well as their impact on the future of diagnostics, prevention and patient management, are discussed.

Contents:

Background Topics: Introduction.- HealthOral Infections and General: Dental Caries and General Health in Children and Adults.- Inflammatory Mechanisms Linking Periodontal Disease to Cardiovascular Disease.- Linkage between Periodontal Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis.- Linkage between Periodontal Disease and Diabetes.- Association between Dental Infections and Renal and Liver Diseases.- Association between Oral Infections and Cancer Risk.- Oral Candidiasis and the Medically Compromised Patient.- Association between Oral Infections and Salivary Gland Hypofunction.- Future Diagnostic Methods and Techniques: The Oral Microbiome in Health and Disease.- Salivary Microbiota in Oral Health and Disease.- Future Perspectives in Management of Oral Infections: Use of Probiotics in Future Prevention and Treatment of Oral Infections.- Management of Patients with Oral Candidiasis.