[Molecular diagnosis of oral infections]

Many viruses, fungi and bacteria inhabit the mouth. Most of these microorganisms can be easily cultured and identified by classical microbiological tests, but some of them, such as human papilloma virus, can only be identified by the methods of molecular biology. Some microorganisms are present in a very small amount and cannot be detected by classical tests; therefore, in this case, molecular diagnosis is also a logical alternative. Molecular biology assays are sensitive, objective, easy to perform and less demanding than conventional microbiological methods in terms of training and quality assurance. This paper describes the molecular methods that are commonly used for the detection of microorganisms that colonize the oral cavity.