Sweet Cheeks: How Early Nutrition Affects Oral Microbiota Populations and Disease Incidence

Dietary and oral hygiene habits are known to affect oral microorganisms and disease incidence, but most research has focused on preschool aged (2-4 yr old) children. A recent experiment in our lab demonstrated a highly diverse oral microbiome in the saliva of infants without teeth (3-6 months old). These data suggest that soft tissues in the mouth serve as a reservoir for pathogens and must be considered in oral health management. The evolution of microorganisms that occurs between birth and tooth eruption has not been characterized and may have great implications as it pertains to oral disease later in life. The investigators are interested in determining how dietary changes during this time affect oral microbiota. Here, tongue and cheek swab samples will be collected from a small cohort of infants (n=20) at 4 time points: 1) within 5 days of age; 2)2 wk after infant formula feeding begins; 3) 2 wk after solid foods offered; and 4) 2 wk after breast-feeding ceases. At the same time, a survey and 3 day feeding diary of the infant's diet will be collected. In addition, a pregnancy survey and food frequency questionnaire will be administered at the time of recruitment. Research staff will conduct a 10-minute interview at the first and last oral sample collection time. These pilot data will provide important diet-oral microbe relationships in edentulous infants, allowing us to propose and test specific hypotheses pertaining to diet, oral microbes, and disease in young children.