Journal of Oral Microbiology

The oral microbiome: bridging oral health and systemic well-being

The intricate and increasingly recognised relationship between oral health, the oral microbiome, and systemic health represents a pivotal area of scientific investigation. This article collection of the Journal of Oral Microbiology aims to dissect the dynamic interplay among these three interrelated domains. This collection will bring together studies that investigate how the balance (symbiosis) and disruption (dysbiosis) of the oral microbial community not only mirror systemic conditions but may also act as mediators in their pathogenesis - an interaction further influenced by oral diseases. While the bidirectional relationship between the oral microbiome and systemic conditions is increasingly recognized, it remains unclear whether the influence of the oral microbiome on systemic health is direct or mediated through changes in oral health. Conversely, it is also uncertain whether alterations in the oral microbiome are driven primarily by changes in oral health or by systemic health conditions.

Despite growing interest and evidence, translation of findings into clinical practice has been inconsistent - often hindered by a lack of detailed metadata linking oral health with both systemic outcomes and microbiome profiles. To overcome these limitations, future studies must incorporate comprehensive clinical oral data, including conditions such as periodontal disease, hyposalivation, and dental caries, which are frequently overlooked in systemic contexts. Enhancing study design and reporting standards - especially the integration of metadata that bridges oral clinical findings, systemic parameters, and microbial profiles - is essential to advancing the field. This may help clarify whether interventions such as dental care or microbiome modulation - or a combination of both - can effectively prevent or control systemic conditions. For example, in light of emerging evidence connecting oral health to dementia, is it the modulation of the oral microbiome, the treatment of periodontitis, or both that offer preventive potential? Submissions that explore this intersection are especially encouraged, particularly those moving beyond simple associations to establish causal relationships, emphasising the critical need for longitudinal data to unravel the temporal dynamics of these interactions.

Contributions that explore how modulating the oral microbiome may promote systemic health and support the development of innovative therapeutic strategies, grounded in well-designed studies and integrative data are welcome. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• The triad of systemic diseases, oral health, and the oral microbiota
• The potential of the oral microbiome and oral health status as predictive biomarkers for systemic diseases
• Innovative methodologies and technologies for studying host–oral microbiome interactions
• The effects of prebiotics, probiotics, and other microbiome-targeted interventions on oral and systemic health
• The role of the oral-gut axis in linking oral health and microbiome composition to overall well-being
• Contributions of viruses, fungi, and other non-bacterial components of the oral microbiome to oral and systemic disease

Keywords

• Oral Microbiome Dynamics
• Oral-Systemic Health Interconnections
• Host–Oral Microbiome Interactions
• Oral–Gut Axis
• Microbiome-Based Therapeutic Strategies

­­All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisor for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member).

Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is 31 March 2026.

Please contact Zhiyuan Zhang at zhiyuan.zhang@taylorandfrancis.com with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.

Please be sure to select the appropriate Article Collection from the drop-down menu in the submission system.

Guest Advisors

Dr. Naile Dame-Teixeira is a researcher and lecturer at the Department of Dentistry, University of Brasília (Brazil), and a CNPq Research Productivity (PQ) Fellow. Her work focuses on the oral microbiome and root caries, with a particular interest in microorganisms present in low abundance. Leveraging Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques, she was the first to detect members of the Archaea domain in caries-associated biofilms. Dr. Dame-Teixeira conducts clinical and observational studies, as well as systematic reviews, to explore how clinical features - such as systemic conditions, salivary composition, and hyposalivation - may influence caries development.

Prof. Thuy Do leads the Microbiology and Cell Biology research group within the Division of Oral Biology at the University of Leeds' School of Dentistry, where she is a Professor of Molecular Microbiology. Her research and that of her team is dedicated to elucidating the interplay between microbes and host responses in maintaining oral health and in the development of diseases. Key areas of focus are: to improve oral and systemic health through advancements in characterising and controlling oral biofilms, defining the impact of the oral microbiome, and clarifying the connections between periodontal diseases and systemic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes. To achieve these goals, her team employs advanced multi-OMICs approaches to analyse the complex dynamics of oral microbial communities.

Dr. Dongmei Deng, associate professor of Preventive Dentistry at Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA). She received her dental degree in China and later obtained a PhD at ACTA. She has a substantial background in biofilm control and host-microbe interaction. She has supervised more than 5 PhD students and more than 30 Master students. Additionally, she has extensive international collaborations, hosting and supervising guest PhD students and researchers from various countries around the world.