Recent analyses with ribosomal RNA-based technologies have revealed the diversity of
bacterial populations within dental biofilms, and have highlighted their important
contributions to oral health and disease. Dental biofilms are exceedingly complex and
multispecies ecosystems, where oral bacteria interact cooperatively or competitively
with other members. Bacterial interactions that influence dental biofilm communities
include various different mechanisms. During the early stage of biofilm formation, it
is known that planktonic bacterial cells directly attach to surfaces of the oral
cavity or indirectly bind to other bacterial cells that have already colonized.
Adherence through co-aggregation may be critical for the temporary retention of
bacteria on dental surfaces, and may facilitate eventual bacterial colonization. It
is likely that metabolic communication, genetic exchange, production of inhibitory
factors (e.g., bacteriocins, hydrogen peroxide, etc.), and
quorum-sensing are pivotal regulatory factors that determine the bacterial
composition and/or metabolism. Since each bacterium can easily access a neighboring
bacterial cell and its metabolites, genetic exchanges and metabolic communication may
occur frequently in dental biofilms. Quorum-sensing is defined as gene regulation in
response to cell density, which influences various functions, e.g.,
virulence and bacteriocin production. In this review, we discuss these important
interactions among oral bacteria within the dental biofilm communities.
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