Dietary Factors Impact on Oral Microbiome

Emily Eisler-Grynsztajn, Verrazzano Class of 2026, complete major in Biology and minor in Psychology

I chose the focus of my capstone to be the relationship between diet and the oral microbiome. I have always been interested in health, and I never really took the time to realize how much what we eat can affect oral health beyond just cavities. Getting to learn that the things we consume can influence bacteria in the mouth, and even connect to overall health, made me want to explore it further. This topic felt relevant because diet is something people have the ability to control, and understanding its impact could help prevent not only oral diseases, but systemic ones as well.

At the very start of this project, I expected it to mainly focus on basic nutrition and dental hygiene. However, the research ended up being much more complex than I thought. I learned that different dietary patterns, like high-sugar diets versus plant-based or Mediterranean diets, can significantly change the diversity of bacteria in the mouth. For instance, high sugar intake promotes harmful bacteria and reduces microbial diversity. On the other hand, plant-based and Mediterranean diets support beneficial bacteria and reduce inflammation. I did not expect the connection between the oral microbiome and overall health, including diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, to be so strong.

One of the most challenging parts of this project was organizing all the scientific information and making it understandable. A good amount of the studies had complex terminology, especially when learning about microbial diversity, metabolism, and research methods. Something else that was difficult initially was understanding the methodology, like the two-phase design with both observational and experimental research. To make it easier to follow on my part, I broke it down. The easiest part of the project was connecting the research to real-life examples, especially our choices in diet, because it made the topic feel more relatable.