Have you ever stopped to wonder the diverse universe teeming within your mouth? A realm of tiny organisms known as oral microbiota thrives there, silently orchestrating a symphony that plays a crucial role in your well-being. While these microorganisms might seem insignificant, they wield immense influence over your overall health.

Our mouths host around 700 different types of microorganisms, forming a complex community called oral microbiota. Although we know a lot about these mouth microbes, we're just starting to understand their role in mouth diseases like cavities, gum disease, and oral cancer. They're not just confined to our mouths; they're also tied to diseases in the rest of our bodies, like rheumatoid arthritis and heart disease. Some of these oral microbes can even end up in our intestines, affecting our digestion and health.

Diving into the World of Oral Microbiota

Envision your mouth as a vibrant city, bustling with life. The inhabitants of this bustling metropolis are oral microbiota – an intricate amalgamation of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that call your mouth home. These microorganisms form a thriving community, working harmoniously to maintain a delicate balance within.

Forging the Connection: The Oral-Gut Highway

Interestingly, there exists a highway between your oral world and your gut, known as the intestines. Some of the microorganisms in your mouth take this journey, eventually settling in your gut. This connection wields substantial influence on your health. Think of your gut as a garden and these oral microbes as seeds. If these seeds are of poor quality, they can disrupt the health of the garden (your gut), leading to inflammation and chronic ailments.

Recent experiments suggest that oral bacteria might make their way to the gut, causing inflammation and other problems. Some bacteria that are normally in our mouths, like Klebsiella pneumoniae, might cause issues in our intestines. They can get there by traveling through our blood, and the products they produce can lead to inflammation. This inflammation might be linked to digestive diseases. Bacteria from our mouths, like Porphyromonas gingivalis, can even affect our immune system and cause problems in our gums and teeth.

From Your Plate to Your Microbes: The Dietary Dimension

Intriguingly, your dietary choices can significantly influence your oral microbiota. Consuming sugary treats, for instance, sparks excitement among certain microbes in your mouth, culminating in the production of acid. This acid can erode your teeth, heralding the onset of cavities. However, embracing a healthier diet can cultivate microbial allies that contribute to the health of your mouth and body.

Different diets, like vegetarian or Western diets, change the types of microbes in our mouths. Some foods, like green tea and certain extracts from foods like grapes, can improve oral health. But other things, like chewing betel nut, can harm our mouths.

A Cascade of Impact: Oral Microbiota and Systemic Diseases

The influence of oral microbiota goes beyond oral and gut-related conditions. It plays a role in diabetes, obesity, liver diseases, and even cancers like pancreatic and colorectal cancer. Oral microbiota can affect diabetes by impacting oral bone development and immune responses. In obesity, an altered oral microbiota composition has been observed in obese individuals, raising questions about its role in the condition. Notably, liver diseases like cirrhosis and cancers like pancreatic and colorectal cancer are also linked to oral microbiota imbalance.

Embarking into the Future

Our comprehension of these oral microbes and their impact on health is still in its infancy. Nevertheless, this newfound knowledge could pave the way for revolutionary treatments for various diseases. Perhaps, in the not-so-distant future, we'll harness this understanding to engineer therapies or cultivate specialized "beneficial bacteria" that actively bolster our well-being.

The next time you undertake your oral hygiene regimen, reflect on the fact that your efforts extend beyond safeguarding your teeth. You're also nurturing an entire ecosystem of symbiotic microbes, diligently working to safeguard your health. As you brush, floss, and gargle, remember that you're not merely caring for yourself; you're fostering a harmonious coexistence with the microcosm that resides within.

Source: Science Direct