{"id":30450,"date":"2022-04-03T14:21:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-03T12:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helvident.ch\/?p=30450"},"modified":"2022-08-18T17:17:57","modified_gmt":"2022-08-18T15:17:57","slug":"oral-microbiota-and-general-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helvident.ch\/en\/oral-microbiota-and-general-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Oral microbiota and impact on general health"},"content":{"rendered":"

Formerly known as the \"oral flora\", the oral microbiota refers to all the micro-organisms present in the oral cavity. In a healthy state, with good dental hygiene, the composition of the microbiota remains stable with its environment and the host. However, this balance is fragile and can have more or less serious consequences for the human body as a whole. What types of bacteria do we harbor in our mouths? What is the link between oral microbiota and health? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oral microbiota: definition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Microbes are naturally present in the human body. The populations living in our intestines are referred to as intestinal microbiota, while those living in our mouths are referred to as oral microbiota. These micro-organisms, invisible to the naked eye, are made up of several hundred species of bacteria. They also include viruses, fungi, protozoa and archaea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of these micro-organisms are common to the body's different microbiota. These include the fungus candida albicans<\/em>These are found in the oral, intestinal and vaginal microbiota. Others are specific to the mouth, such as aerobic bacteria (which arrive through the air we breathe).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One milligram of dental plaque<\/a>There are an estimated one billion micro-organisms. That's a whole world in our mouths! In their normal state, these microbes live in harmony with their host, our body. In this case, there's eubiosis. On the other hand, when there's an imbalance, the patient has dysbiosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The impact of oral dysbiosis on oral health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When the microbiota is in equilibrium (eubiosis), commensal bacteria colonize all surfaces of the mouth. As a result, there is little room for pathogens to attach themselves. If this balance is upset (dysbiosis), opportunistic bacteria proliferate, with an increased risk of causing local infections. At the oral level, an imbalance in the microbiota can lead to a number of problems: <\/p>\n\n\n\n