Dear Colleagues,

The relationship of oral disease to overall disease is certainly not a new concept. For centuries, the role of oral infection and inflammation in contributing to diseases elsewhere in the body has been studied and reported. During the last few decades, a series of intriguing reports from many countries have increased the current interest in the role of oral health and disease on contributing to general health and systemic conditions.

Might oral and periodontal disease be a risk factor for cardiovascular and other systemic diseases? Since this question was first posed, a phenomenal body of work has been directed at understanding how oral periodontal disease might affect distant sites and organs and thus have an effect on overall health. Recent studies of the human microbiome using DNA sequencing technologies have revealed new insights into the possible mechanisms that help to explain how oral infections can occur in distinct sites such as atheromas, the colon, and reproductive tissues.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a current and thoughtful perspective on the relationship of oral and periodontal disease to systemic conditions and oral-related quality of life.

We especially welcome interventional and observational studies aiming at improving the knowledge of the effects of oral and periodontal diseases on systemic health and how oral and periodontal treatment improve the general wellbeing and quality of life. Review studies including those that use conceptual frameworks for any of the aforementioned topics will also be welcomed.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Gaetano Isola, Dr. Alessandro Polizzi and Dr. Simona Santonocito

Guest Editors