Abstract:Fluoride had been widely used as an effective anti-caries agent for decades. However, the long-term use of fluoride might lead to the emergence of fluoride-resistant strains. The fluoride-resistant ability of microorganism could be induced by the phenotypic adaptation or genotypic changes, subsequently, the anti-caries effect of fluoride might decrease. Besides, long-term fluoride interference might disturb the balance of oral micro-ecosystem, leading to associated oral diseases. In general, fluoride played an important role in the prevention and treatment of oral diseases, while oral microbial homeostasis was crucial for oral and systemic health. Therefore, in this paper we reviewed the research progress on the fluoride-resistant mechanism of oral microorganisms.
