| Abstract: | Available knowledge relating to the microbiology of root surface caries was reviewed. This included direct information from microbiological observations on human and animal material as well as subsidiary information derived from pertinent dietary studies and histological examination of cemental lesions. Early investigations on root surface caries in experimental animals have provided valuable insight into some of the dietobacterial interactions involved. However, these ideas have not been completely validated at the human level. It was concluded that interactions between oral bacteria and other factors involved in the development of root surface dental caries may be broader in scope and more difficult to interpret than the bacterial activities which result in coronal caries. |
