The management of the oral microbiom as an indicator of children’s oral health

Abstract

The human mouth is inhabitated by several hundred species of viruses, bacteria, fungi and archaea that reside in complex, polymicrobial communities on at various sites in the mouth. Typically, this oral microbiome exists in homeostasis with the humanbody. Early life determinants of the oral microbiota have not been thoroughly elucidated enough. A major part of the maturation of the oral microbiome occurs during the first two years of life, and this development may be influenced by early life circumstances. Our goal in this chapter is to provide a large understanding of the strategies employed by oral bacteria and evidence for the formation of the oral microbiome during early childhood, the potential of using childhood oral microbiome to predict future oral and systemic diseases, and the control of the current evidence. We debate the factors that impact development of the oral microbiome and explore oral markers of disease, with a focus on the early oral cavity.