Towards Digital Periodontology in Space Medicine

During spaceflight, microgravity, radiation, and altered immune function can disrupt balance, increasing susceptibility to both oral and systemic inflammation. We propose a periodontal digital twin, a computational model that integrates oral microbiome, immune, and metabolic data to simulate individual health in real time. The proposed framework conceptualizes a data-driven model linking multiomic and physiological inputs from astronauts to personalized simulations of oral ecosystem dynamics. By continuously updating with new biological and environmental data, the digital twin can predict early deviations from homeostasis. A periodontal digital twin could function as an early warning system for immune dysregulation and microbial imbalance during long-duration missions, supporting targeted preventive or therapeutic interventions. Beyond its application to astronaut health, this approach provides a new lens to study host-microbe coadaptation and establishes a foundation for precision and predictive healthcare in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial contexts. Siddiqui R, Khan NA. Towards digital periodontology in space medicine. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2026; 97(4):300-302.