Research Advances on the Role of the Oral Microbiota in Age-Related Homeostatic Dysregulation and Systemic Diseases

The regulatory role of the microbiota in the aging process has increasingly attracted attention. As a crucial microbial ecosystem of the human body, the oral microbiota plays a unique role in maintaining host health and contributing to disease development. This review summarizes the dynamic changes in specific oral microbial genera under both healthy and diseased conditions, analyzes the impact of age-related physiological alterations of the oral cavity on the microbiota, and comprehensively elucidates the mechanisms by which age-associated oral microbial dysbiosis participates in oral and systemic diseases. Given the close interplay between the oral microbiota and aging, its significance in promoting healthy aging has become increasingly prominent. Investigating the succession patterns of the oral microbiota not only helps to unravel the mechanisms underlying the high incidence of systemic diseases in the elderly, but also provides a theoretical basis for developing microbiota-based intervention strategies and identifying novel early-biomarkers for healthy aging.