Research Progress on Correlation between Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis and Oral Diseases

doi:10.13701/j.cnki.kqyxyj.2026.02.003

Abstract

Abstract: The oral and gut microbiota form a bidirectional interaction loop through the oral-gut microbial axis. Gut microbiota dysbiosis affects oral microecological balance via pathways such as metabolism, bacterial ectopic colonization, inflammatory responses, and immune regulation, which is closely associated with the occurrence of dental caries, periodontal diseases, oral ulcers, halitosis, oral cancer, and other oral diseases. This study aims to elaborate on the associations between gut microbiota and oral diseases as well as the underlying mechanisms, hoping to provide theoretical references for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of oral diseases through modulation of the gut microbiota.

Key words: oral-gut microbiota axis, gut microbiota dysbiosis, dental diseases, immune regulation, metabolites

CHEN Yuanjin, LIU Jianguo. Research Progress on Correlation between Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis and Oral Diseases[J]. Journal of Oral Science Research, 2026, 42(2): 99-104.

References

[1] Khor B, Snow M, Herrman E, et al. Interconnections between the oral and gut microbiomes: reversal of microbial dysbiosis and the balance between systemic health and disease [J]. Microorganisms, 2021, 9(3): 496.
[2] Zhu B, Wang X, Li L. Human gut microbiome: the second genome of human body [J]. Protein Cell, 2010, 1(8): 718-725.
[3] Hays KE, Pfaffinger JM, Ryznar R. The interplay between gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids, and implications for host health and disease [J]. Gut Microbes, 2024, 16(1): 2393270.
[4] Leonov GE, Varaeva YR, Livantsova EN, et al. The complicated relationship of short-chain fatty acids and oral microbiome: a narrative review [J]. Biomedicines, 2023, 11(10): 2749.
[5] Liu C, Ruan F, Chen Z, et al. Phenanthrene-induced hyperuricemia with intestinal barrier damage and the protective role of theabrownin: Modulation by gut microbiota-mediated bile acid metabolism [J]. Sci Total Environ, 2024, 949: 174923.
[6] Khoshbin K, Camilleri M. Effects of dietary components on intestinal permeability in health and disease [J]. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, 2020, 319(5): G589-G608.
[7] Zhao Y, Liu Y, Jia L. Gut microbial dysbiosis and inflammation: impact on periodontal health [J]. J Periodontal Res, 2024, 60(1): 30-43.
[8] Deo PN, Deshmukh R. Oral microbiome: Unveiling the fundamentals [J]. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol, 2019, 23(1): 122-128.
[9] Bao J, Li L, Zhang Y, et al. Periodontitis may induce gut microbiota dysbiosis via salivary microbiota [J]. Int J Oral Sci, 2022, 14(1): 32.
[10] Lu Y, Li Z, Peng X. Regulatory effects of oral microbe on intestinal microbiota and the illness [J]. Front Cell Infect Microbiol, 2023, 13: 1093967.
[11] Lockhart PB, Brennan MT, Sasser HC, et al. Bacteremia associated with toothbrushing and dental extraction [J]. Circulation, 2008, 117(24): 3118-3125.
[12] Castillo DM, Sánchez-Beltrán MC, Castellanos JE, et al. Detection of specific periodontal microorganisms from bacteraemia samples after periodontal therapy using molecular-based diagnostics [J]. J Clin Periodontol, 2011, 38(5): 418-427.
[13] Deng J, Lu C, Zhao Q, et al. The Th17/Treg cell balance: crosstalk among the immune system, bone and microbes in periodontitis [J]. J Periodontal Res, 2022, 57(2): 246-255.
[14] Zhou T, Xu W, Wang Q, et al. The effect of the “Oral-Gut” axis on periodontitis in inflammatory bowel disease: a review of microbe and immune mechanism associations [J]. Front Cell Infect Microbiol, 2023, 13: 1132420.
[15] Nagao JI, Kishikawa S, Tanaka H, et al. Pathobiont-responsive Th17 cells in gut-mouth axis provoke inflammatory oral disease and are modulated by intestinal microbiome [J]. Cell Rep, 2022, 40(10): 111314.
[16] Shaffer M, Lozupone C. Prevalence and source of fecal and oral bacteria on Infant, child, and adult hands [J]. mSystems, 2018, 3(1): e00192-17.
[17] Qian J, Yang M, Xu D, et al. Alterations of the salivary microbiota in gastroesophageal reflux disease [J]. J Oral Biosci, 2023, 65(4): 280-286.
[18] Liu H, Hong XL, Sun TT, et al. Fusobacterium nucleatum exacerbates colitis by damaging epithelial barriers and inducing aberrant inflammation [J]. J Dig Dis, 2020, 21(7): 385-398.
[19] Bai J, Tian Y, Lu Y, et al. Differential effects of high-fat diet on salivary and gut microbiota [J]. Front Cell Infect Microbiol, 2025, 15: 1547555.
[20] Yan J, Herzog JW, Tsang K, et al. Gut microbiota induce IGF-1 and promote bone formation and growth [J]. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2016, 113(47): E7554-E7563.
[21] Tyagi AM, Yu M, Darby TM, et al. The microbial metabolite butyrate stimulates bone formation via T tegulatory cell-mediated regulation of WNT10B expression [J]. Immunity, 2018, 49(6): 1116-1131.e7.
[22] Liu J, Wang Y, Meng H, et al. Butyrate rather than LPS subverts gingival epithelial homeostasis by downregulation of intercellular junctions and triggering pyroptosis [J]. J Clin Periodontol, 2019, 46(9): 894-907.
[23] Kirkik D, Kalkanli Tas S, Tanoglu A. Unraveling the blood microbiome: novel insights into inflammasome responses in Crohn’s disease [J]. Eur J Gastroen Hepat, 2024, 36(8): 975-984.
[24] Wang X, Xiong K, Huang F, et al. A metagenome-wide association study of the gut microbiota in recurrent aphthous ulcer and regulation by thalidomide [J]. Front Immunol, 2022, 13: 1018567.
[25] Shishniashvili T, Suladze T, Makhviladze M, et al. Dental diseases and intestinal dysbiosis among children [J]. J Clin Pediatr Dent, 2018, 42(3): 217-220.
[26] Xu L, Wang Y, Wu Z, et al. Salivary microbial community alterations due to probiotic yogurt in preschool children with healthy deciduous teeth [J]. Arch Microbiol, 2021, 203(6): 3045-3053.
[27] Kashyap B, Hyvärinen E, Kullaa AM. Salivary short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are viable predictors of early changes in systemic health [J]. Chin J Dent Res, 2024, 27(3): 193-202.
[28] Luo S, Li W, Li Q, et al. Causal effects of gut microbiota on the risk of periodontitis: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study [J]. Front Cell Infect Microbiol, 2023, 13: 1160993.
[29] Lv J, Liu Y, Jia S, et al. Carbon monoxide-releasing molecule-3 suppresses tumor necrosis factor-α^- and interleukin-1β^- induced expression of junctional molecules on human gingival fibroblasts via the heme oxygenase-1 pathway [J]. Mediators Inflamm, 2020, 2020: 6302391.
[30] Yuan X, Zhou F, Wang H, et al. Systemic antibiotics increase microbiota pathogenicity and oral bone loss [J]. Int J Oral Sci, 2023, 15(1): 4.
[31] Zhang Y, Zhu C, Cao G, et al. Dynamic alterations of oral microbiota related to halitosis in preschool children [J]. Front Cell Infect Microbiol, 2021, 11: 599467.
[32] Qian XX. The association of extra-oral halitosis with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in inflammatory bowel disease [J]. Inflamm Bowel Dis, 2024, 30(6): 1053-1054.
[33] Jin B, Wang P, Liu P, et al. Genetic connectivity of gut microbiota and oral ulcers: a mendelian randomization study [J]. Int Dent J, 2024, 74(4): 696-704.
[34] Liu Z, Lu M, Wang W, et al. Anxiety and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth: associations with recurrent aphthous ulcers [J]. BMC Oral Health, 2025, 25(1): 688.
[35] Rogler G, Singh A, Kavanaugh A, et al. Extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease: current Cconcepts, treatment, and implications for disease management [J]. Gastroenterology, 2021, 161(4): 1118-1132.
[36] Finamore A, Peluso I, Cauli O. Salivary stress/immunological markers in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis [J]. Int J Mol Sci, 2020, 21(22): 8562.
[37] Wan Z, Zheng J, Zhu Z, et al. Intermediate role of gut microbiota in vitamin B nutrition and its influences on human health [J]. Front Nutr, 2022, 9: 1031502.
[38] Al-Qadami G, Verma G, Van Sebille Y, et al. Antibiotic-induced gut microbiota depletion accelerates the recovery of radiation-induced oral mucositis in rats [J]. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys, 2022, 113(4): 845-858.
[39] Liu X, Li X, Xie M, et al. Association of gut microbiome and oral cavity cancer: A two sample mendelian randomization and case-control study [J]. J Stomatol Oral Maxillofac Surg, 2024, 125(4): 101736.
[40] Kaźmierczak-Siedlecka K, Dvořák A, Folwarski M, et al. Fungal gut microbiota dysbiosis and its role in colorectal, oral, and pancreatic carcinogenesis [J]. Cancers, 2020, 12(5): 1326.
[41] Okazaki T, Honjo T. PD-1 and PD-1 ligands: from discovery to clinical application [J]. Int Immunol, 2007, 19(7): 813-824.
[42] Kim SV, Xiang WV, Kwak C, et al. GPR15-mediated homing controls immune homeostasis in the large intestine mucosa [J]. Science, 2013, 340(6139): 1456-1459.
[43] OmerOglou E, Karaca B, Kibar H, et al. The role of microbiota-derived postbiotic mediators on biofilm formation and quorum sensing-mediated virulence of Streptococcus mutans: A perspective on preventing dental caries [J]. Microb Pathog, 2022, 164: 105390.
[44] Twetman S, Belstrøm D. Effect of synbiotic and postbiotic supplements on dental caries and periodontal diseases-a comprehensive review [J]. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2025, 22(1): 72.
[45] Han HS, Yum H, Cho YD, et al. Improvement of halitosis by probiotic bacterium Weissella cibaria CMU: a randomized controlled trial [J]. Front Microbiol, 2023, 14: 1108762.
[46] Frey-Furtado L, Magalhães I, Azevedo MJ, et al. The role of biotics as a therapeutic strategy for oral mucositis-a systematic review [J]. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins, 2024, 16(4): 1313-1326.
[47] Jayasinghe T, Jenkins J, Medara N, et al. Dietary fibre modulates body composition, blood glucose, inflammation, microbiome, and metabolome in a murine model of periodontitis [J]. Nutrients, 2025, 17(7): 1146.
[48] Cani PD, Bibiloni R, Knauf C, et al. Changes in gut microbiota control metabolic endotoxemia-induced inflammation in high-fat diet-induced obesity and diabetes in mice [J]. Diabetes, 2008, 57(6): 1470-1481.
[49] Imdad A, Pandit NG, Zaman M, et al. Fecal transplantation for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease [J]. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2023, 11(11): CD012774.
[50] Lindo CE, Sebastian J, Kuntjoro KN, et al. Microbiota transplantation as an adjunct to standard periodontal treatment in periodontal disease: a systematic review [J]. Medicina (Kaunas), 2024, 60(4): 672.
[51] Emencheta SC, Olovo CV, Eze OC, et al. The role of bacteriophages in the gut microbiota: implications for human health [J]. Pharmaceutics, 2023, 15(10): 2416.
[52] Chen Z, Guo Z, Lin H, et al. The feasibility of phage therapy for periodontitis [J]. Future Microbiol, 2021, 16: 649-656.