Caries does not depend on genes
Dental health depends more on hygiene than on heredity
Scientists from the Craig Venter Institute studied the composition of microbial communities of the oral cavity in almost a thousand people and came to the conclusion that the myrobiota of the oral cavity is only partially determined by the genetics of its "host".
Good teeth – what's the secret? As usual, there are at least two possible answers. The first one says – good dental care. Brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day, do not abuse sweets, etc. The second one speaks of good heredity. Perhaps it's the "genes of good teeth"?
Scientists decided to clarify the formulation of this question and finally answer it. Intermediate responsibility for the condition of the teeth is borne by those who inhabit the cavity of our mouth. Research in recent years has changed the perception of bacteria in our body as pests or just neutral neighbors. Extensive studies of the microbiota of the human body have made it clear that microorganisms actively interact with our body and affect our health. As studies of intestinal microbial communities show, their composition and the ratio of microorganisms depend not only on environmental factors, but are also determined by the genetic characteristics of the human host organism
The study involved 485 pairs of twins aged 5 to 11 years. Of this number, 205 pairs were monozygotic (monozygotic), and 280 were dizygotic (heterozygotic). Swabs from the oral cavity were taken from each twin to create a "portrait" of the microbiota. The microbiota of children was studied for two reasons. Firstly, the microbial composition of the oral cavity changes with age, and the participation of children provides a cleaner definition of the influence of hereditary factors. Secondly, twins in childhood are more likely to have common environmental factors, which will also make it possible to more accurately determine the contribution of the genetic component.
In total, almost 300 individual bacterial taxa were found in all samples. The microbiomes of monozygotic twins were more similar than the microbiomes of dizygotic pairs. The microbiomes of each study participant were divided into two groups: a population closely related to innate, genetic factors, and a population whose life is greatly influenced by environmental factors. The first group includes such bacteria as Prevotella pallens, Veillonella, Pasteurellaceae, Corynebacterium durum. These bacteria do not cause caries in humans; its occurrence and further development is associated with the activity of streptococci. And their life strongly depends on external conditions: the style of nutrition and the peculiarities of dental care.
Thus, even if a person has a "good" heredity, it will be powerless against the growth of bacteria that cause caries. Environmental factors will have a greater impact on their activities: the amount of sugar in food and drinks, as well as dental care.
The study is published in the journal Cell Host & Microbiome.
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14.09.2017