Development of oral bacterial flora in young children

The intimate relationship with bacteria is a fundamental factor in the heal th status of an individual. After birth infants are exposed to continuous p erson-to-person and environmental contacts with microbes, and the developme nt of the indigenous microflora begins on the surfaces of the human body. I n a developing ecosystem microbial colonization may easily occur because of the still inadequate host response. Adhesion is the initial event in the c olonization of bacteria. In the mouth, only mucosal surfaces are available during the first months of life. After teeth emerge, the number of attachme nt sites and potential niches increases significantly. Bacteria adhere not only to oral surfaces but also to each other, forming multigeneric communit ies where specific partner relationships influence their composition and st ability. Viridans streptococci and a strictly anaerobic species, Fusobacter ium nucleatum, are of interest in this context. The oral colonization patte rn differs between individuals already in infancy; variable bacterial load in saliva of attendants and other close contacts and the frequency of this bacterial exposure may partly account for individual differences. In additi on, the exposure of an infant to antibiotics affects the quality of coloniz ing bacteria. This article presents an overview of the age-related acquisit ion of oral bacteria and the role of the indigenous oral microflora in heal th and disease.