Abstract
For millions of years, our resident microbes have coevolved and coexisted with us in a mostly harmonious symbiotic relationship. We are not distinct entities from our microbiome, but together we form a 'superorganism' or holobiont, with the microbiome playing a significant role in our physiology and health. The mouth houses the second most diverse microbial community in the body, harbouring over 700 species of bacteria that colonise the hard surfaces of teeth and the soft tissues of the oral mucosa. Through recent advances in technology, we have started to unravel the complexities of the oral microbiome and gained new insights into its role during both health and disease. Perturbations of the oral microbiome through modern-day lifestyles can have detrimental consequences for our general and oral health. In dysbiosis, the finely-tuned equilibrium of the oral ecosystem is disrupted, allowing disease-promoting bacteria to manifest and cause conditions such as caries, gingivitis and periodontitis. For practitioners and patients alike, promoting a balanced microbiome is therefore important to effectively maintain or restore oral health. This article aims to give an update on our current knowledge of the oral microbiome in health and disease and to discuss implications for modern-day oral healthcare.
Highlights
Humans, like all complex multicellular eukaryotes, are not autonomous organisms, but biological units that include numerous microbial symbionts and their genomes.[1]
We know that the microorganisms that make up the human microbiome are not just unicellular organisms living alongside each other, but instead form highly regulated, structurally and functionally organised communities attached to surfaces as biofilms,[19] with interspecies collaborations as well as antagonisms that contribute to ecologic stability
The diverse community that makes up the oral microbiome is finely tuned by nature to protect from disease, and it is of great importance to maintain its natural diversity
Summary
Summarises the benefits of a healthpromoting oral microbiome for oral and general health. Provides an overview of coevolution between humans and oral microbes. Reviews factors associated with dysbiosis and implications for caries and periodontal disease. Our resident microbes have coevolved and coexisted with us in a mostly harmonious symbiotic relationship. Perturbations of the oral microbiome through modern-day lifestyles can have detrimental consequences for our general and oral health. The finely-tuned equilibrium of the oral ecosystem is disrupted, allowing disease-promoting bacteria to manifest and cause conditions such as caries, gingivitis and periodontitis. For practitioners and patients alike, promoting a balanced microbiome is important to effectively maintain or restore oral health. This article aims to give an update on our current knowledge of the oral microbiome in health and disease and to discuss implications for modern-day oral healthcare
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