Oral health

Diseases of the teeth and gums, which are linked to many other illnesses, are finally getting the research attention that they deserve.

The immunological effects of untreated gum disease can amplify risk of a range of disorders — but could also create opportunities for intervention.

Breaking down the division between mouth and body should lead to better health care.

Complex microbial communities in the mouth clarify the causes of, and provide new treatments for, dental disease.

Christina Warinner explains what the microorganisms that lived in our ancestors’ mouths reveal about human evolution and health.

Research conducted since the start of the pandemic is starting to suggest that the mouth could be a key player in COVID-19 infection.

Wounds in the mouth heal faster than in skin — and without scarring. Could unravelling the mechanisms that drive regeneration in the oral cavity lead to better wound therapies?

There is little question that supplemental fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces decay. But at what cost?

Light can outperform X-rays in tooth examinations and avoids the use of ionizing radiation.

Several major organizations are calling for radical reforms to improve oral health. What’s holding them up?

Links between perceived racial discrimination and tooth loss, new materials for implants and enamel repair, and other research highlights.

Single-cell transcriptomics and protein expression analyses of salivary glands and gingiva, along with the detection of infectious virus and virus-specific antibodies in saliva from SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals, support a potential role for the oral cavity in COVID-19 pathogenesis.

Periodontitis has been causally linked to the development of other chronic inflammatory diseases outside the oral mucosa. In this Review, George Hajishengallis and Triantafyllos Chavakis consider the molecular basis of these links.

This Perspective highlights an accumulating body of literature that outlines a direct role for oral-associated bacteria in inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis. The authors propose a model by which oral-associated species might expand in the inflamed intestinal environment to exacerbate inflammation.