Aspects of adherence of oral spirochetes

Oral spirochetes are present in the oral cavity in various numbers and forms and have been strongly implicated as playing a role in the etiology of periodontal disease. Because adherence to host tissues is a critical first step in establishing a bacterial infection, reports on the attachment of oral spirochetes to host tissues and matrix components were reviewed. The great bulk of the literature concerns Treponema denticola; however, where there is information regarding other oral spirochete species, it will be noted.