ORAL MICROBIOME RECOVERY FOLLOWING ANTIMICROBIAL EXPOSURE: A SCOPING REVIEW OF MICROBIAL RESILIENCE AND RESTORATION OF HOMEOSTASIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47701/7xw4sc83Keywords:
Antimicrobial Exposure, Microbial Resilience, Microbial Homeostasis, Oral MicrobiomeAbstract
The oral microbiome is a dynamic microbial ecosystem
that can be disrupted by antimicrobial exposure, resulting
in changes in microbial composition, diversity, and
community structure. The capacity of the oral microbiome
to withstand environmental disturbances and
subsequently regain ecological stability represents an
important characteristic of microbial resilience and is
closely related to the maintenance of oral microbial
homeostasis. This scoping review aimed to map the
available evidence regarding oral microbiome responses
following antimicrobial exposure, with particular
emphasis on microbial resilience, recovery, and
restoration of homeostasis. Literature was searched
through PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar using
terms related to oral microbiome, antimicrobial exposure,
microbial resilience, and microbial homeostasis. Relevant
literature published within the predefined period was
screened according to predetermined inclusion and
exclusion criteria, followed by data extraction and
descriptive evidence mapping. The findings indicate that
antimicrobial exposure may substantially modify oral
microbial composition, diversity, community structure,
and ecological interactions. Evidence from the included
studies suggests that oral microbial communities possess
varying degrees of resilience following microbial
disturbance, with recovery influenced by the type and
intensity of antimicrobial exposure, characteristics of the
microbial community, and host-related ecological factors.
However, the extent and completeness of recovery toward
the pre-exposure state vary across microbial
communities and exposure conditions. These findings
highlight the importance of understanding oral
microbiome resilience and recovery as key processes in the restoration and maintenance of oral microbial
homeostasis and provide a basis for further longitudinal
research on strategies to preserve microbial stability
following antimicrobial disturbance.
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