Dental Plaque Formation — MFDS Part 1 MCQ

Correct answer: D — Streptococcus sanguinis

Streptococcus sanguinis is a facultatively anaerobic Gram-positive coccus and a classical primary coloniser of the acquired salivary pellicle. Its adhesins bind pellicle components, allowing establishment of the early dental biofilm and providing surfaces for subsequent bacterial coaggregation. Fusobacterium nucleatum is an important bridging organism that links early colonisers to later anaerobic species but is not the best answer for primary pellicle colonisation. Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola and Tannerella forsythia are traditional red-complex organisms associated with mature, dysbiotic subgingival plaque and periodontitis rather than initial colonisation of a newly cleaned tooth surface.

Reference: Current approaches to produce durable biomaterials: Trends in polymeric materials for restorative dentistry applications, section describing acquired enamel pellicle and early biofilm colonisers, 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39424526/