Oral microbiology
[5] Genera of fungi that are frequently found in the mouth include Candida, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Glomus, Alternaria, Penicillium, and Cryptococcus, among others.
[7] The oral microbiome, mainly comprising bacteria which have developed resistance to the human immune system, has been known to impact the host for its own benefit, as seen with dental cavities.
[2][3] Anaerobic bacteria in the oral cavity include: Actinomyces, Arachnia, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Eubacterium, Fusobacterium, Lactobacillus, Leptotrichia, Peptococcus, Peptostreptococcus, Propionibacterium, Selenomonas, Treponema, and Veillonella.
[4] In addition, there are also a number of fungi found in the oral cavity, including: Candida, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Glomus, Alternaria, Penicillium, and Cryptococcus.
[7] As a diverse environment, a variety of organisms can inhabit unique ecological niches present in the oral cavity including the teeth, gingiva, tongue, cheeks, and palates.
Instead, bacteria with the ability to form attachments to the acquired pellicle, which contains certain salivary proteins, on the surface of the teeth, begin the establishment of the biofilm.
One important characteristic of this habitat is that the spaces between the papillae tend to not receive much, if any, oxygenated saliva, which creates an environment suitable for microaerophilic and obligate anaerobic microbiota.
This accumulation of microorganisms subject the teeth and gingival tissues to high concentrations of bacterial metabolites which results in dental disease.
In the case of dental cavities, proteins involved in colonization of teeth by Streptococcus mutans can produce antibodies that inhibit the cariogenic process which can be used to create vaccines.
[23] Genera of fungi that are frequently found in the mouth include Candida, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Glomus, Alternaria, Penicillium, and Cryptococcus, among others.
[20] High levels of circulating antibodies to oral pathogens Campylobacter rectus, Veillonella parvula and Prevotella melaninogenica are associated with hypertension in human.
To prevent any possible complication from an altered oral microbiota, it is important to brush and floss every day, schedule regular cleanings, eat a healthy diet, and replace toothbrushes frequently.
[28] For a young person or an adult in good health and with a healthy diet, the microbes living in the mouth adhere to mucus, teeth and gums to resist removal by saliva.
[28][29] Salivary flow and oral conditions vary person-to-person, and also relative to the time of day and whether or not an individual sleeps with their mouth open.
Pathogenic oral microflora have been linked to the production of factors which favor autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis and arthritis, as well as cancers of the colon, lungs and breasts.
The oral microbiome has evolved over time alongside humans, in response to changes in diet, lifestyle, environment, and even the advent of cooking.
[34] Considering that oral bacteria are transferred vertically from primary caregivers in early childhood, and horizontally between family members later in life, archaeological dental calculus is a unique way to trace population structure, movement, and admixture between ancient cultures, as well as the spread of disease.
[33] Ancient humans are thought to have maintained a much different oral microbiome landscape than non-human primates, despite having a shared environment.
Existing data has found that chimpanzees maintain higher levels of Bacteroidetes and Fusobacteria, while humans have greater proportions of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria.
A cluster of oral microbiota has been found to be shared across Spanish Neanderthals, foraging humans from ~3000 years ago, and a single wild-caught chimpanzee.
The oral microbiome has undergone significant shifts in composition, particularly during key historical periods like the Neolithic and the Industrial Revolution.
This period of stability suggests that despite advancements in agriculture and societal structures, the oral microbiome remained relatively constant.
The widespread availability of industrially processed flour and sugar led to a predominance of cariogenic bacteria in the oral environment.
This shift has persisted to the present day, making the modern oral microbiome less diverse than ever before, rendering it less resilient to perturbations in the form of dietary imbalances or invasion by pathogenic bacterial species.
