Microscopic Surface Topography of Oral Tissues

April 29, 2026

·S. Thaddeus Connelly, DDS, MD, PhD, FACS

Whether Louis Pasteur truly said these words is uncertain, yet the principle captures an emerging truth in oral biology. Microorganisms do not colonize empty space. They colonize landscapes. Every attachment event, every microbial community, and every inflammatory shift begins with the surface beneath it. While dentistry has traditionally emphasized bacteria, the more fundamental determinant is often the terrain that selects them.

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The complete article — figures, references, and clinical commentary — is published in The Oral Health Bulletin on LinkedIn.

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