Our project "Revealing the causal role of the oral microbiome in health and disease" is a joint effort of the University of Eastern Finland, University of Helsinki, University of Turku, and Folkhälsan. Using saliva samples collected in the DILGOM and Fin-HIT studies, we will analyze how the oral microbiome structure and function are associated with poor oral health and low-grade inflammation leading to cardiometabolic diseases. Our scientific objective is to create new knowledge on oral microbiome composition for researchers and provide versatile data on factors that affect this composition. We hypothesize that oral microbiome contributes to the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders. For society, our results will further motivate healthier lifestyle choices, prevention measures, improved oral health services, and the overall awareness of general health threats connected to oral health.

2025

2029