STUDY OF THE PATHOGENESIS AND PHYSICAL NATURE OF DENTAL BIOFILM

在牙表面龋的形成过程中，在牙表面塌陷形成龋腔之前，观察到牙釉质矿物质流失的特征模式。尽管这一过程受到牙表面周围微环境的影响，但由于其规模和复杂性，很难对其进行详细分析。包括口腔中存在的微生物和唾液。为了了解微生物因素，我们分析了覆盖在牙齿表面的微生物与影响牙齿生物膜生态的宿主因子之间的相互关系。此外，为了了解环境因素，我们分析了唾液在牙齿表面微环境中发挥重要作用的生物学和物理特性。唾液的分泌速率和物理性质是口腔环境性质的关键因素。因此，本文分析了唾液的黏度、自旋度等生理特性与口腔发病机制和生理性质的关系。此外，我们开发了一种微型装置，用于获取牙齿表面微环境的数据，该装置配备了半导体微探针，用于pH和温度测量。这个设备的内存足够大，可以记录几天的环境数据。它还包括一个高度集成的微控制器，可以连续观察矿物损失的动态。该装置的临床应用将阐明微生物生物膜的发病机制，以防止因早期龋病造成的矿物质流失。

In the process of developing dental caries on tooth surfaces, characteristic patterns of mineral loss of enamel were observed ahead of collapsing the tooth surface and forming the caries cavity Although this process is affected by microenvironments around the tooth surface, it is difficult to analyze these in detail because of its size and complexity These microenvironments are considered to be determined by several factors, including the presence of microbes and saliva throughout the oral cavity. To understand the microbial factors, we analyzed the interrelationship among the microbes covering the tooth surfaces and host factors which affect the ecology of dental biofilm. Furthermore, to understand the environmental factors, we analyzed biological and physical characteristics of saliva, which play an important role in the microenvironment of the tooth surface. The secretion rates and physical properties of saliva are key factors in the nature of oral circumstances. Thus, physiological properties of saliva, such as viscosity and spinnbarkeit, were analyzed as to their relationship with the pathogenesis and physiological nature of oral cavities. Furthermore, we developed a minute device to obtain data on the microenvironment on tooth surfaces, this device being equipped with semiconductor microprobes for pH and temperature measurement. The memory of this device is sufficiently large to log environmental data for several days. It also includes a highly integrated microcontroller enabling continuous observation of the dynamism of mineral loss. Clinical application of this device to elucidate the nature of the pathogenesis of microbial biofilm will be undertaken to prevent mineral loss due to early dental caries lesions.