Viable but non-cultivable state in oral microbiota: a critical review of an underexplored microbial survival strategy

, which exhibits transient presence in the oral cavity. Further research could create opportunities to develop novel therapeutic strategies to control oral pathogens. The inability of conventional culture-based methods to identify VBNC bacteria and the metabolic reactivation of dormant cells to restore susceptibility to therapies highlights a notable gap in anti-VBNC state strategies. The lack of targeted approaches tested for efficacy against VBNC bacteria underscores the need to develop novel detection methods. This review discusses the VBNC state, its importance in public health, and diagnostic techniques, with a special focus on the VBNC state in oral bacteria.