Does high sugar intake really alter the oral microbiota?: A systematic review

Objectives: Diet is one of the main factors influencing the diversity and interactions of the oral microbiota. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of sugar intake on the microbial diversity and bacteria that predominate under these conditions.

Material and methods: A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guide, using the PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct databases and combinations of the words "microbiota," "microbiology," "bacteria," "sugars," "dysbiosis," "caries," "microbiome," "oral microbial," and "oral microbiota profile pattern." The selection criteria included year, language, type of publication, comparison of microbiota during low and high sugar intake, and bacterial identification by molecular sequencing of the 16S subunit of ribosomal RNA.

Results: Out of a total of 374 papers that came up after the initial search, 8 met the criteria for this review. The papers included research on populations comprising children, young adults, and adults, with most of the studies reporting selection criteria for the participants and using validated instruments to determine sugar intake. Apart from one study, all others reported for high sugar intake conditions a significant decrease in microbial diversity of the oral microbiome and the predominance of several bacterial genera or species, including Streptococcus, Scardovia, Veillonella, Rothia, Actinomyces, and Lactobacillus.

Conclusions: Sugar-rich diets have a significantly unfavorable effect on the diversity and balance of oral microbiota; however, further studies are required to determine the exact role of sugar in microbial interactions.