From enemy to ally: an update for dental professionals on oral microbiome ecology and its systemic implications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/Keywords:
Oral Microbiome, Homeostasis, DysbiosisAbstract
The oral microbiome is a natural and essential component of the human body, maintaining a symbiotic relationship with the host and contributing to health. Rather than being caused simply by the presence of microorganisms, oral diseases are now understood as ecological dysbioses, in which disruption of the oral microbiome precedes and drives the development of clinical signs. This perspective challenges traditional clinical approaches, as strategies focused exclusively on detecting or eliminating specific microorganisms are unlikely to address the ecological nature of oral diseases and may, in some cases, be counterproductive. Furthermore, far beyond local effects, oral dysbiosis may have systemic repercussions. Through mechanisms such as chronic inflammation and interactions along the oral-gut axis, oral dysbiosis may influence systemic health and has been associated with cardiovascular, metabolic, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune diseases. This relationship is bidirectional: oral dysbiosis may contribute to systemic inflammatory and metabolic alterations, while systemic conditions can also modify the oral environment. As oral microbiome discoveries increasingly reach dental professionals, there is a growing need to critically translate this body of evidence into clinically meaningful concepts. This review aims to help bridge the gap between rapidly evolving oral microbiome research and everyday dental practice by providing dental professionals with an integrated ecological perspective of the oral microbiome. By synthesizing emerging concepts in microbiome homeostasis, dysbiosis, resilience, and oral-systemic interactions into clinically relevant principles, this review can support evidence-based decision-making in contemporary dentistry. The role of dental professionals in maintaining oral microbiome balance is part of a broader strategy to support both oral and systemic health. Recognizing oral diseases as ecological dysbiosis highlights the need for a shift in dental practice, in which preserving microbiome eubiosis and ecological stability becomes central to care. In dysbiosis, the microbiome becomes an enemy, so it is better kept on our side.
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