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Oral Biofilm Sampling for Microbiome Analysis in Healthy Children
Published on: December 31, 2017
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Early pregnancy is characterized by a significant decrease in the diversity of the oral microbiome and strong
Shani Finkelstein1, Sigal Frishman2,3, Sondra Turjeman4
1Department of Mathematics, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
Journal of Oral Microbiology
|April 20, 2026
Summary
The oral microbiome changes significantly in early pregnancy, with reduced diversity and a shift towards inflammation. Gluten intake and smoking strongly influence these oral microbiome alterations during gestation.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Human Physiology
- Genomics
Background:
- Most pregnancy oral microbiome research focuses on the second and third trimesters.
- Early gestational oral microbiome dynamics remain largely unexplored in large-scale longitudinal studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate longitudinal changes in the oral microbiome throughout all three trimesters of pregnancy.
- To identify associations between oral microbiome composition and maternal nutrition/lifestyle factors.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal analysis of oral microbiome profiles in 346 pregnant Israeli women and 154 Russian women.
- Saliva samples collected across first (T1), second (T2), and third (T3) trimesters.
- Differential abundance analysis and association studies with maternal diet and lifestyle.
Main Results:
- Significant oral microbial shifts observed from T1 to T2, with progressive alpha diversity decrease throughout pregnancy.
- Taxonomic shifts included decreased Verrucomicrobiota and increased Synergistota.
- Gluten-free diet, smoking history, and conception method showed strongest associations with oral microbiome composition.
Conclusions:
- Presents the first large-scale evidence of significant oral microbiome changes starting in early-to-mid pregnancy.
- Characterized by reduced diversity and a shift towards inflammation-associated microbial communities.
- Highlights potential lifestyle influences, particularly gluten consumption and smoking, on the maternal oral microbiome.
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