Oral Cavity is the Gateway to the Body: Role of Oral Health Professionals: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Background The oral cavity is the most important link between the human body and the external environment and is well-equipped to protect the body against invading pathogens. Emerging data on the bidirectional relationship between oral health and the severity of COVID-19 symptoms has prompted us to reexamine our role as the guardians of the oral cavity - the true gateway to the body. Recent studies have shown that the oral microbiome is a complex ecological system and the interactions between its residents and the host cells influence human health and disease. This narrative review elaborates on the oral-systemic connection from an oral microbiome standpoint and discusses the future role of oral health professionals.Methods A PubMed literature search using the keywords “Oral Microbiome and Diseases” and “Oral microbiome and Health” for a range of ten years between 2012-2022 was completed. Meta-Analyses, Reviews, Randomized Control Trials, Clinical Trials, and books were included in the search.Results “Oral microbiome and Diseases” yielded 6392 results and “Oral microbiome and Health” yielded 4287 results.Conclusion Oral health professionals need to be trained on the oral-systemic connection periodically to appreciate the recent advances in this field.Practical Implications A deeper understanding of the impact of existing treatment modalities on the oral microbiome could expand the role of oral health professionals in preventing and maintaining patients' overall health. Implementing point-of-care salivary diagnostics to detect salivary biomarkers for oral and non-oral diseases and conditions may be a significant leap toward this goal.