Tongue Microbiota and Oral Health Status in Community-Dwelling Elderly Adults

Abstract

Aspiration of oral contents can lead to pneumonia, which is a major cause of death among elderly adults susceptible to swallowing impairments. Tongue microbiota are a dominant source of oral microbial populations that are ingested with saliva. This large-scale population-based study revealed variations in the tongue microbiota among community-dwelling elderly adults. The total bacterial density was independent of the conditions of teeth surrounding the tongue, whereas the microbiota composition, especially the relative abundances of predominant commensals, showed an association with tooth conditions. Our results demonstrate that the elderly with fewer teeth, poorer dental hygiene, and more dental caries experience constantly ingest more dysbiotic microbiota, which could be harmful for their respiratory health.