High prevalence of periodontal disease and periodontopathogen colonization in adults with autism spectrum disorder: a pilot study

The oral microbiota composition of the adults with ASD showed significant differences compared to neurotypical individuals, particularly in the prevalence of the specific microorganisms <i>P. gingivalis</i>, <i>T. tenax</i> and <i>E. gingivalis</i> ST1. The detection frequency of periodontitis and periodontopathogens may have been underestimated due to the lack of cooperation of the adults with ASD during clinical examination and microbiota sampling. Further studies on larger cohorts are needed to consolidate these results to gain a better understanding of variations in oral microbiota.