Linking oral microbiome with mental health: A review.

The gut microbiome shapes depression and anxiety, yet the oral microbiome that seeds it daily remains overlooked. Therefore, it is of interest to review on the oral microbiome's role in the gut-brain axis. A reproducible signature emerges: enriched Prevotella with depleted Haemophilus and Rothia. Four pathways connect a dysbiotic mouth to the brain inflammation, bacterial translocation, neurotransmitter signalling and HPA-axis dysregulation. As adults see hygienists more than any other clinician, dental visits could screen, prevent and refer along this axis.