Association between oral microbiota and systemic health
Presentation Category
Literature Review
Introduction/Context/Diagnosis
The relationship between oral health and systemic disease likely varies as a function of the individual's condition, genetics, and general environment. Nevertheless, recent evidence suggests that microbes in the mouth have a large effect on overall health, which was previously underestimated.
Methods/Treatment Plan
A systematic PubMed search was performed for articles published in the past three years on the relationship between oral microbiome and systemic diseases.
Results/Outcome
We found a relatively small number of articles that describe the effects of oral microbiome on systemic diseases (as opposed to the larger number of articles on the effects of oral pathogens on oral health or systemic health). Most of these articles described an effect of the oral microbiome on oral cancer, diabetes, brain physiology, or pregnancy.
Significance/Conclusions
We conclude that commensals in the mouth produce metabolites that could contribute to nutrition, metabolic functions, stimulation of the immune system, and overall physiological functions. We speculate that pathogens in the mouth, by inducing inflammation, could have systemic effects indirectly.
Format
Event
Association between oral microbiota and systemic health
The relationship between oral health and systemic disease likely varies as a function of the individual's condition, genetics, and general environment. Nevertheless, recent evidence suggests that microbes in the mouth have a large effect on overall health, which was previously underestimated.
