Interpreting oral microbiome research in clinical dentistry: terminology, limitations and clinical implications

Context The oral cavity hosts the second most diverse microbiome in the human body; a complex ecosystem interacting with the host across multiple distinct ecological niches. Advances in sequencing abilities have transformed our understanding of the oral microbiome, but significant conceptual and methodological challenges remain.Objectives This review explores the terminology that underpins microbiome research highlighting ambiguity and heterogeneity among current research and the challenges that arise when translating oral microbiome research to clinical dentistry.Current knowledge While associations between oral microorganisms, oral microbial communities and both oral and systemic disease are increasing, current microbiome analyses alone cannot yet account for a number of important factors including host response, functional variation and strain level differences that determine pathogenic potential.Conclusion A future with the ability to use microbiome analyses for diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic purposes requires careful hypothesis-driven research with a combined multi-omics approach.