Researchers at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry found consistent patterns by using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing to examine the oral microbiome of 252 children between the ages of 1 and 12 in a cross-sectional study.
Though the composition of the oral microbiome is critically important in oral health and disease, the researchers note, the patterns and mechanisms underlying community assembly have not been comprehensively studied.
The researchers found that species richness increased with age in both supragingival and subgingival plaque and trended up in saliva. Among the clinical variables studied, only age, plaque levels, and presence of calculus showed a significant effect on microbial community composition.
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