Citizen-science reveals changes in the oral microbiome in Spain through age and lifestyle factors

Abstract

The relevance of the human oral microbiome to our understanding of human health has grown in recent years as microbiome studies continue to develop. Given the links of the oral cavity with the digestive, respiratory and circulatory systems, the composition of the oral microbiome is relevant beyond just oral health, impacting systemic processes across the body. However, we still have a very limited understanding about intrinsic and extrinsic factors that shape the composition of the healthy oral microbiome. Here, we followed a citizen-science approach to assess the relative impact on the oral microbiome of selected biological, social, and lifestyle factors in 1648 Spanish individuals. We found that the oral microbiome changes across age, with middle ages showing a more homogeneous composition, and older ages showing more diverse microbiomes with increased representation of typically low abundance taxa. By measuring differences within and between groups of individuals sharing a given parameter, we were able to assess the relative impact of different factors in driving specific microbial compositions. Chronic health disorders present in the analyzed population were the most impactful factors, followed by smoking and the presence of yeasts in the oral cavity. Finally, we corroborate findings in the literature that relatives tend to have more similar oral microbiomes, and show for the first time a similar effect for classmates. Multiple intrinsic and extrinsic factors jointly shape the oral microbiome. Comparative analysis of metabarcoding data from a large sample set allows us to disentangle the individual effects.

Effects of Changes in Smoking Behavior of Older Adults’ Oral Health

“…As a result of examining the effects of different patterns of smoking behaviors on oral health, the high-level maintenance pattern is found to be very vulnerable compared to that of the non-smoking pattern. This correspond well with previous studies that smokers are more likely to be exposed to oral diseases than non-smokers [ 4 , 25 ], and the studies that revealed smoking as one of the crucial factors influencing changes in the oral microbial ecosystem at the biological level [ 26 ]. It should be noted that there is no difference in the oral health between the decreasing pattern and the decreasing after increasing pattern compared to the non-smoking pattern.…”

Managing Oral Health in the Context of Antimicrobial Resistance

“…The microbial oral community shifts constantly throughout an individual’s life due to extrinsic and intrinsic factors [ 3 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. The oral cavity is exposed to exogenous microorganisms mainly through diet, drinking, air, kissing, and lifestyle [ 18 ].…”

“…The oral cavity is exposed to exogenous microorganisms mainly through diet, drinking, air, kissing, and lifestyle [ 18 ]. Changes in oral pH, depressed immune system, presence of chronic diseases, and intake of antibiotics also affect the composition of the oral microbiome [ 19 , 21 ]. Nonetheless, despite all these factors accounting for inter-individual variability, an oral core microbiome has been pinpointed [ 14 , 22 ], and it refers to the microbial taxa or the genomic and functional attributes associated with those taxa that are characteristic of the oral cavity under healthy conditions [ 23 , 24 ].…”

Assessing the influence of the Mediterranean diet on dental calculus microbiome composition: a pilot study

“…Furthermore, adherence to a specific diet seems to promote the opportunistic pathogenesis of some microorganisms 6 . In this context, the oral tract microbiome is gaining attention as a new target of omics studies, as it can capture humans' dietary habits, immune responses, and environmental factors 7 . The oral cavity represents one of the richest substrates for microorganisms to grow and establish complex microbial communities 8 .…”