Abstract: Alkali production from the metabolism of oral bacteria plays an important role in dental plaque pH homeostasis and oral microbial ecology，and it is closely related to the occurrence and development of dental caries. Recently，alkali generation by oral microorganisms has become the frontier of cariology，and plenty of studies are focused on the regulatory mechanisms of arginine catabolism，urea catabolism，agmatine catabolism and malolactic fermentation of the oral bacteria. This paper aims to review recent findings，especially clinical findings in this field，in order to shed light on an alternative approach to caries control by making full use of the alkali producing capacity of oral bacteria.

Key words: dental caries, dental plaque, oral bacteria, alkali production

摘要： 口腔细菌产碱代谢与牙菌斑酸碱平衡、细菌微生态平衡以及龋病的发生、发展密切相关。口腔细菌产碱代谢研究主要集中在尿素代谢、精氨酸代谢、精胺代谢和苹果酸代谢的调控机制及其与龋活跃程度的关系方面，是近年来龋病防治的研究热点。本文着重针对口腔细菌产碱代谢的临床研究做一综述。

关键词: 龋病, 牙菌斑, 口腔细菌, 产碱代谢