Richard Lamont, Ph.D., a professor of oral biology, is the editor of a new microbiology textbook, Oral Microbiology and Immunology, printed by ASM Press. The book is one of the first of its kind to focus primarily on the knowledge and understanding of the oral ecosystem and its unique role in human health and disease. Intended for dental students, dental practitioners and health-care professionals, it details the ecology, virulence, molecular biology and immunogenicity of oral bacteria, viruses and fungi and examines their interface with host cells and secretions.