The major diseases in the oral cavity result from infection with various oral microorganisms, some of which are part of the normal oral microflora and some of which are not. There have been a number of revolutionary changes in the past few years regarding our knowledge of the microorganisms that normally infect humans - the human microbiome.  New methods make it possible to identify hundreds of previously unknown microorganisms and new concepts relate infection to diseases not hitherto considered infectious diseases such as obesity, certain types of cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome.

This course is designed for dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants interested in updating their knowledge of medical and oral microbiology and the diagnosis and treatment of oral infections. 

This course will address the bacterial, viral, and fungal etiology of oral infections, review methods for the identification of oral microorganisms including newer DNA-based methods; and describe local delivery, various antibiotics and principles of antibiotic therapy for the treatment of oral infections