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Cited by 1,347Oral microbiology and periodontitis researchGut microbiota and healthMicrobial Community Ecology and Physiology

The oral microbiome in health and disease

Wade, William G.·2013·Pharmacological Research
DOI 10.1016/j.phrs.2012.11.006
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Abstract

The human mouth harbours one of the most diverse microbiomes in the human body, including viruses, fungi, protozoa, archaea and bacteria. The bacteria are responsible for the two commonest bacterial diseases of man: dental caries (tooth decay) and the periodontal (gum) diseases. Archaea are restricted to a small number of species of methanogens while around 1000 bacterial species have been found, with representatives from the phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Spirochaetes, Synergistetes and Tenericutes and the uncultured divisions GN02, SR1 and TM7. Around half of oral bacteria are as yet uncultured and culture-independent methods have been successfully used to comprehensively describe the oral bacterial community. The human oral microbiome database (HOMD, www.homd.org) provides a comprehensive resource consisting of descriptions of oral bacterial taxa, a 16S rRNA identification tool and a repository of oral bacterial genome sequences. Individuals' oral microbiomes are highly specific at the species level, although overall the human oral microbiome shows few geographical differences. Although caries and periodontitis are clearly bacterial diseases, they are not infectious diseases in the classical sense because they result from a complex interaction between the commensal microbiota, host susceptibility and environmental factors such as diet and smoking. Periodontitis, in particular, appears to result from an inappropriate inflammatory reaction to the normal microbiota, exacerbated by the presence of some disease-associated bacterial species. In functional terms, there appears to considerable redundancy among the oral microbiota and a focus on functional rather than phylogenetic diversity may be required in order to fully understand host-microbiome interactions.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.phrs.2012.11.006

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  • Over 250 species from the oral cavity have been isolated in culture and characterized, including key pathogens such as Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, involved in the etiology of dental caries and periodontal disease.

    “Over 250 species from the oral cavity have been isolated in culture and characterized, including several key pathogens, such as Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, involved in the etiology of dental caries and periodontal disease.7, 8, 9”

    From The oral microbiome: Role of key organisms and complex networks in oral health and disease (2021) · cites this paper as [9]

  • Culture-independent methods have improved our understanding of microbial diversity in the oral cavity.

    “Culture‐independent methods have improved our understanding of microbial diversity in the oral cavity.”

    From The oral microbiome: Role of key organisms and complex networks in oral health and disease (2021) · cites this paper as [9]

  • Identifying the exact composition of the oral microbiota among individuals is difficult because the oral cavity is an open system regularly exposed to food, drink, exogenous microbes, air, and human contact.

    “However, specifically identifying the exact composition of the oral microbiota among individuals is difficult because of the nature of the oral cavity: an open system that is regularly exposed to food, drink, exogenous microbes, air, and human contact.9”

    From The oral microbiome: Role of key organisms and complex networks in oral health and disease (2021) · cites this paper as [9]

  • Nearly 25% of ingested nitrate is transported via the enterosalivary circuit to the oral cavity, where oral microbes reduce nitrate to nitrite, which is taken into the bloodstream during digestion and converted to nitric oxide.

    “Nearly 25% of ingested nitrate is transported, via the enterosalivary circuit, to the oral cavity: here, oral microbes reduce nitrate to nitrite, which is taken into the bloodstream during digestion and converted to nitric oxide.”

    From The oral microbiome: Role of key organisms and complex networks in oral health and disease (2021) · cites this paper as [9]

  • Nitric oxide is important to cardiovascular health as it exerts vasodilation and antihypertensive effects.

    “Nitric oxide is important to cardiovascular health as it exerts vasodilation and antihypertensive effects.9, 168, 170”

    From The oral microbiome: Role of key organisms and complex networks in oral health and disease (2021) · cites this paper as [9]

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Authors
Wade, W. G.
Affiliations
King's College London (GB)
Corresponding author
Wade, William G.
ORCID
Wade, William G.
Venue
Pharmacological Research
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2013-03
Volume
69
Issue
1
Pages
137-143
ISSN
1043-6618 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.phrs.2012.11.006
OpenAlex
W2042295984
Cited by
1,347
References
99
Citations by year
2026: 79 · 2025: 98 · 2024: 163 · 2023: 122 · 2022: 118 · 2021: 126 · 2020: 137 · 2019: 101 · 2018: 86 · 2017: 92 · 2016: 73 · 2015: 75 · 2014: 53 · 2013: 24
FWCI
9.68
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Pharmacological Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
Keywords
oral microbiota, oral bacteria, dental caries, periodontitis, bacterial diversity, host-microbiome interactions, 16S rRNA identification, functional diversity, commensal microbiota, host susceptibility
MeSH terms
Animals, Bacteria, Dental Caries, Humans, Mouth, Periodontitis, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Metagenome

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