Dental black plaque microbiome in adult patients

Extrinsic black dental staining is an external dental discoloration of bacterial origin, considered a special form of dental plaque. It is characterized by the presence of dots or black lines parallel to the gingival margin of teeth and firmly attached to the enamel. Patients suffering from black stain usually undergo frequent rounds of prophylactic cleaning in order to remove the unsightly accumulations, which can result in increased dental sensitivity. This study employs a metagenomic approach, based on 16s rRNA gene amplification, to characterize the black dental staining biofilm.