Bacteria and Viruses in Oral Health and Disease

Streptococcus mutans

What bacteria is primarily responsible for dental caries and adheres to teeth via plaque-forming enzymes? Streptococcus mutans — acidogenic and plaque-forming.

Actinomyces species

What root caries-associated bacteria is facultative/anaerobic and contributes to initiation of decay? Actinomyces species.

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

What bacteria is associated with aggressive periodontitis and invades the gingiva? Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans — Green complex.

Fusobacterium species

What orange complex bacteria bridges early and late plaque colonizers? Fusobacterium species.

Porphyromonas gingivalis

What red complex bacteria is key in chronic periodontitis and lives in subgingival calculus? Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Prevotella intermedia

What bacteria is associated with pregnancy gingivitis and abscesses? Prevotella intermedia — Orange complex.

Tannerella forsythia

What bacteria initiates tissue destruction in chronic periodontitis and is part of the red complex? Tannerella forsythia.

Treponema denticola

What spirochete is associated with ANUG and ANUP? Treponema denticola — Red complex.

Enterococcus faecalis

What bacteria is common in failed root canals and resists calcium hydroxide? Enterococcus faecalis.

Streptococcus sanguinis

What viridans group bacteria can cause infective endocarditis and is part of the yellow complex? Streptococcus sanguinis.

Staphylococcus aureus

What skin colonizer can cause aggressive endocarditis if introduced into the bloodstream? Staphylococcus aureus.

Geobacillus stearothermophilus

What bacteria is resistant to sterilization and used to test autoclaves? Geobacillus stearothermophilus.

Clindamycin

What antibiotic is most frequently associated with Clostridium difficile infection?

Clostridium difficile

What bacteria causes pseudomembranous colitis, especially after clindamycin use? Clostridium difficile.

Helicobacter pylori

What antibiotic is most frequently associated with duodenal ulcers?

Escherichia coli

What bacteria is found in intestines and can cause UTIs, meningitis, and gastroenteritis? Escherichia coli (E. coli).

Streptococcus pyogenes

What bacteria causes streptococcal pharyngitis and rheumatic fever? Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcus).

Erysipelas

What is the most common cause of erysipelas? Streptococcus pyogenes.

The Mantoux test

What diagnostic tool is used to screen and diagnose tuberculosis (TB)? The Mantoux test (tuberculin skin test).

Mycobacterium tuberculosis

What bacteria causes TB and is tested with the Mantoux test? Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

What bacteria is linked to water lines and resists clindamycin? Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Biofilms

What are structured communities of microorganisms in the oral cavity called? Biofilms.

Sucrose

What do cariogenic bacteria in dental plaque consume for metabolism? Sucrose.

Spirochetes

It incorporates more spirochetes.

Biofilm location

Interproximal surfaces of teeth.

Biofilm properties

By embedding bacteria in a self-produced extracellular matrix that resists antibiotics and immune defenses.

Virus attacking CD4+ cells

HIV.

HIV conversion mechanism

Reverse transcriptase.

Cell type attacked by HIV

CD4+ T-helper cells.

HIV viral load cutoff

Under 200 copies/mL.

Malignancy associated with HIV

Kaposi's sarcoma.

Latest stage of HIV

AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome).

Virus causing herpangina

Coxsackie virus.

Oral symptoms of hepatitis infections

Jaundice, xerostomia, petechiae.

Fecal-oral hepatitis viruses

Hepatitis A and E.

Hepatitis virus with highest needlestick risk

Hepatitis B.

Hepatitis virus with a vaccine

Hepatitis B.

Curable hepatitis virus with antivirals

Hepatitis C.

Hepatitis requiring co-infection with Hep B

Hepatitis D.

Dangerous hepatitis in pregnant women

Hepatitis E.

Herpesvirus causing cold sores

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HHV-1).

Herpesvirus causing genital herpes

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HHV-2).

Herpesvirus causing chickenpox and shingles

Varicella-zoster virus (HHV-3).

Herpesvirus linked to cancers

Epstein-Barr virus (HHV-4).

Herpesvirus dormant in memory B cells

Epstein-Barr virus.

Virus causing oral hairy leukoplakia

Epstein-Barr virus.

Herpesvirus affecting newborns

Cytomegalovirus (HHV-5).

Herpesvirus causing lesions in HIV patients

Kaposi's sarcoma virus (HHV-8).

HPV types causing common warts

HPV 2, 4.

HPV types causing genital warts

HPV 6, 11.

HPV types linked to cervical cancer

HPV 16, 18.

Most common fungus in the oral cavity

Candida albicans.

How Candida albicans evades immune defenses

By forming pseudohyphae.

Pseudomembranous candidiasis appearance

Wipeable white plaques in the oral cavity.

Fungus causing median rhomboid glossitis

Candida albicans.

Second most common oral fungus

Aspergillus species.

Lesion caused by Aspergillus

Black or yellow necrotic ulcerative lesion on the palate or tongue.