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. 2026 Sep 4;7:1956432. doi: 10.3389/froh.2026.1956432

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© 2026 Matera, Besostri, Cavecchia, Illiceto, Lenzi, D’Ambrosio, Baldassarre and Biagioli.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

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Infographic showing how bio-constructive meal architecture supports oral ecosystem resilience. Central plate of healthy food and water connects to two sections: \"What\" (food composition factors like quality, matrix, processing, texture, acidogenic potential) and \"How\" (meal organization, including sequence, combinations, duration, frequency, termination). Arrows lead to \"Oral Ecological Effects,\" listing pH recovery, reduced substrate retention, reduced acidogenic pressure, and enhanced stability. These effects flow to an image of a tooth with colorful microbes, representing improved oral ecosystem resilience. — Bio-constructive meal architecture: a conceptual framework linking meal structure to oral ecosystem resilience. The ecological impact of a meal depends not only on food composition (what is eaten) but also on meal organization (how foods are structured within the eating episode). Food characteristics, including food quality, matrix, processing level, texture, adhesiveness, and acidogenic potential, interact with meal-related factors such as food sequence, food combinations, meal duration, meal frequency, and meal termination strategies. Together, these dimensions shape the meal as a structured ecological event that influences pH recovery, substrate retention, acidogenic pressure, and ecological stability. Through these mechanisms, Bio-Constructive Meal Architecture may promote resilience of the oral ecosystem, facilitate ecological recovery, and support long-term oral health.