Role of socioeconomic factors and interkingdom crosstalk in the dental plaque microbiome in early childhood caries

Abstract

SUMMARYEarly childhood caries (ECC) is influenced by microbial and host factors, including social, behavioral, and oral health. In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed interkingdom dynamics in the dental plaque microbiome and its association with host variables. The samples collected from the preschool children underwent 16S rRNA and ITS1 rRNA gene sequencing. The questionnaire data were analyzed for social determinants of oral health. The results indicated a significant enrichment ofStreptococcus mutansandCandida dubliniensisin ECC samples, in contrast toNeisseria oralisin caries-free children. Our interkingdom correlation analysis revealed thatCandida dubliniensiswas strongly correlated with bothNeisseria bacilliformisandPrevotella veroralisin ECC. Additionally, ECC showed significant associations with host variables, including oral health status, age, place of residence, and mode of childbirth. This study provides empirical evidence associating the oral microbiome with socioeconomic and behavioral factors in relation to ECC, offering insights for developing targeted prevention strategies.HIGHLIGHTSCharacterized interkingdom association between cariogenic species of genus Neisseria and CandidaBoth bacterial and fungal species are important for caries status prediction using artificial intelligenceSocioeconomic index is associated with caries status and caries-associated microbial markers