MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES IN HEALTHY ORAL MUCOSA

Understanding what constitutes microbial communities in health, as opposed to disease, is a crucial goal in studying the microbiology of the human mouth, the portal of entry to both the gastrointestinal(GI) and respiratory tracts.The mouth houses the second most diverse microbial community in the body, harboring over 700 species of bacteria that colonize the hard surfaces of teeth and the soft tissues of the oral mucosa. Through recent advances in technology, we have started to unravel the complexities of the oral microbes and gained new insights into its role during both health and disease. Perturbations of the oral microbes through modern-day lifestyles can have detrimental consequences for our general and oral health.