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Development of oral bacterial flora in young children
1Department of Bacteriology, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland. eija.kononen@ktl.fi
Insights
Early life microbial exposure shapes infant oral microflora, influencing health and disease. This colonization process is dynamic, affected by environment, host response, and antibiotic exposure.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Human Health
- Pediatrics
Background:
- The human body hosts an indigenous microflora crucial for health.
- Infants acquire microbes post-birth, establishing microbial communities on body surfaces.
- Oral surfaces, initially mucosal, offer increasing colonization sites after teeth emerge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To overview the age-related acquisition of oral bacteria in infants.
- To explore the role of the indigenous oral microflora in health and disease.
- To understand factors influencing early oral microbial colonization patterns.
Main Methods:
- Review of scientific literature on oral microflora development.
- Analysis of bacterial adhesion and colonization processes.
- Discussion of factors affecting microbial composition, including host response and antibiotics.
Main Results:
- Bacterial colonization begins at birth, with oral surfaces becoming significant niches after tooth eruption.
- Bacteria form complex, multigeneric communities through adhesion to surfaces and each other.
- Individual oral colonization patterns emerge early, influenced by exposure and antibiotic use.
Conclusions:
- The development of oral microflora is a critical factor in infant health.
- Specific bacterial interactions, like those involving Viridans streptococci and Fusobacterium nucleatum, are key.
- Understanding early microbial acquisition is vital for managing oral health and disease.
Abstract:
The intimate relationship with bacteria is a fundamental factor in the health status of an individual. After birth infants are exposed to continuous person-to-person and environmental contacts with microbes, and the development of the indigenous microflora begins on the surfaces of the human body. In a developing ecosystem microbial colonization may easily occur because of the still inadequate host response. Adhesion is the initial event in the colonization of bacteria. In the mouth, only mucosal surfaces are available during the first months of life. After teeth emerge, the number of attachment sites and potential niches increases significantly. Bacteria adhere not only to oral surfaces but also to each other, forming multigeneric communities where specific partner relationships influence their composition and stability. Viridans streptococci and a strictly anaerobic species, Fusobacterium nucleatum, are of interest in this context. The oral colonization pattern differs between individuals already in infancy; variable bacterial load in saliva of attendants and other close contacts and the frequency of this bacterial exposure may partly account for individual differences. In addition, the exposure of an infant to antibiotics affects the quality of colonizing bacteria. This article presents an overview of the age-related acquisition of oral bacteria and the role of the indigenous oral microflora in health and disease.