[Introduction to oral biology]

The purpose of this review is to give a general description of the discipline of Oral Biology. The different subjects are classified with a short introduction to each one, followed by an analysis of their role in clinical dentistry. Reference is made to various areas of research with emphasis on bone biology, mechanisms of inflammation, oral immunology and oral microbiology. The references stated are representative, aiming to satisfy the reader with a general interest rather than the very specialized one.