The Surgeon General's report on oral health: implications for research and education

The surgeon general's report on oral health ("Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General"), which was released May 25, highlights the bidirectional interactions between oral and systemic health. Systemic conditions with oral manifestations include diabetes, hereditary disease, joint disease, HIV and osteoporosis. Oral disease can exacerbate certain systemic conditions, such as diabetes, respiratory disease, vascular disease and preterm low-birth weight. While a number of interactions have been identified, additional research is needed to evaluate disease pathogenesis and therapeutic interventions. Further, emphasis should be placed on educating patients, dental and medical students, and dentists and physicians regarding the importance of these relationships. These findings place oral health in the perspective of systemic health, and suggest that the dental and medical profession will develop even closer linkages in the future.