Oral Microbiome Dynamics in Health and Aging

The oral microbiome comprises a dynamic ecosystem of bacteria, fungi and viruses that evolves from birth through senescence. Initial colonisation follows vertical transmission from the mother, with predentate mucosal communities progressively diversifying upon eruption of primary and permanent teeth. In healthy adulthood, microbial communities achieve a relatively stable state, buffered by salivary flow, immune surveillance and routine hygiene. With advancing age, physiological changes such as reduced salivary secretion, epithelial thinning and immunosenescence shift community composition, favouring opportunistic taxa and elevating the risk of dysbiosis. Such imbalances underpin common age-related oral diseases including caries and periodontitis and contribute to systemic inflammation. Contemporary multi-omic approaches have illuminated the resistome, metabolome and spatial organisation of oral communities, revealing complex microbe–microbe and microbe–host interactions. Integrating these insights supports the development of personalised diagnostics, targeted preventive strategies and interventions aimed at preserving oral and systemic health in ageing populations.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have characterised the maturation of the paediatric oral resistome during the first decade of life, demonstrating that antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) cluster by age and become increasingly mobile via elements such as Tn916 transposase. Host genetic factors influence resistome composition from infancy onwards, while ARG abundance shows an inverse relationship with dental caries in primary dentition and returns to baseline following tooth restoration. These findings underscore the oral cavity as a dynamic reservoir for antimicrobial resistance and suggest that longitudinal monitoring of resistome trajectories could inform early preventive strategies against dysbiosis and resistance dissemination.

Oral Microbiome Dynamics in Health and Aging publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in oral microbiome dynamics in health and aging across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Oral microbiome: The diverse community of microorganisms inhabiting the mouth, encompassing bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Resistome: The complete set of antimicrobial resistance genes found within a microbial ecosystem.

Dysbiosis: An imbalance in a microbial community that disrupts normal function and predisposes to disease.

Metagenomics: The culture-independent analysis of genetic material recovered from environmental samples to profile microbial diversity and function.

Polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR): A host protein that transports immunoglobulin A across epithelial cells into mucosal secretions.

References

1. Development of the oral resistome during the first decade of life. Nature Communications (2023).
2. Omics for deciphering oral microecology. International Journal of Oral Science (2024).
3. Microbiota-dependent and -independent postnatal development of salivary immunity. Cell Reports (2023).
4. Characterizing oral microbial communities across dentition states and colonization niches. Microbiome (2018).