Mundmikrobiota

Mundmikrobiota refers to the complex community of microorganisms that inhabit the human oral cavity. It includes bacteria, fungi, archaea, viruses, and protozoa, with bacteria comprising the majority of the population. These microorganisms are distributed across distinct anatomical niches such as saliva, teeth, gingival sulcus, tongue dorsum, palate, and tonsillar crypts. Each niche hosts a characteristic microbial profile shaped by local environmental factors like oxygen concentration, pH, availability of nutrients, and shear forces from saliva flow.

The oral microbiota plays a central role in maintaining oral health through protective functions. Commensal microbes compete with pathogens for adhesion sites and nutrients, produce metabolites that inhibit harmful bacteria, and modulate local immune responses. They also contribute to the breakdown of dietary carbohydrates, thereby influencing the availability of substrates for both commensal and pathogenic species. Disruptions in the balance of this community – a state known as dysbiosis – have been linked to common oral diseases such as dental caries, periodontal disease, and oral candidiasis. Moreover, emerging evidence suggests associations between oral microbial composition and systemic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Current research on Mundmikrobiota employs advanced techniques such as 16S rRNA gene sequencing, metagenomics, and metabolomics to characterize community structure and functional capacity. These studies facilitate the identification of microbial biomarkers for disease risk and the development of targeted interventions, including probiotics, prebiotics, and precision antibiotics. Understanding the dynamics of the oral microbiome remains essential for devising strategies to preserve oral health and to mitigate its impact on overall human wellbeing.