Impact of sleep on the microbiome of oral biofilms

Dysbiosis of the oral microbiome is associated with diseases such as periodontitis and dental caries. Because the bacterial counts in saliva increase markedly during sleep, it is broadly accepted that the mouth should be cleaned before sleep to help prevent these diseases. However, this practice does not consider oral biofilms, including the dental biofilm. This study aimed to investigate sleep-related changes in the microbiome of oral biofilms by using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Two experimental schedules-post-sleep and pre-sleep biofilm collection-were applied to 10 healthy subjects. Subjects had their teeth and oral mucosa professionally cleaned 7 days and 24 h before sample collection. Samples were collected from several locations in the oral cavity: the buccal mucosa, hard palate, tongue dorsum, gingival mucosa, tooth surface, and saliva. Prevotella and Corynebacterium had higher relative abundance on awakening than before sleep in all locations of the oral cavity, whereas fluctuations in Rothia levels differed depending on location. The microbiome in different locations in the oral cavity is affected by sleep, and changes in the microbiome composition depend on characteristics of the surfaces on which oral biofilms form.