Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(4):317-321 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6940

Oral health in a context of public health: prevention-related issue

Betty Berezovsky, Vladimír Bencko

Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

This publication analyses current literary knowledge on selected topics in the fields of oral health and pathology, with a particular emphasis on the potential roles of the oral microbiome and preventative approaches to oral afflictions. An important association with floral dysbiosis has been documented in important oral conditions, sometimes as a predisposing factor and at other times as a result thereof. However, much remains to be elucidated regarding the specific mechanisms at play, as well as their meaning in clinical practice. Continued research into the pathophysiology of certain oral diseases is of particular importance considering how widespread they are. A specific emphasis should be placed on understanding the exact mechanisms through which the microbiota facilitates health, and when disturbed, sickness. And perhaps of most importance is the implementation of knowledge already acquired on disease prevention if the burden of oral diseases worldwide is to decline in the future.

Keywords: oral health, oral hygiene, oral microbiota, dysbiosis, caries, periodontitis, oral cancer

Received: May 27, 2021; Revised: October 17, 2021; Accepted: October 17, 2021; Published: December 31, 2021  Show citation