The relationship between oral health and general health has been a focus of research interests for decades. While the impact and oral manifestations of certain systemic conditions have been identified very early, later research examined the potential impact of oral diseases on chronic systemic conditions. To list a few, periodontal diseases have been linked to cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, dementia, respiratory diseases, and mortality, where an inflammatory pathway was depicted. More recently, another line of research examined the association between number of teeth, severe dental caries, and general health among older adults and children suggesting a nutritional pathway. While a causal relationship between oral health and general health is still unconfirmed, comorbidities due to common risk factors appear to be a more acceptable explanation in view of the current evidence. This highlights the importance of integrating oral health and general health policies and health promoting interventions.

The aim of this special issue is to highlight the recent findings on the link between oral health and general health for different age groups and for distinct populations and globally. In this special issue we would like to attract recent population-based studies examining mechanisms for the link between oral and general health and studies highlighting the common risk factors for oral and general health. We especially welcome intervention studies with impact on both oral and general health and interventional studies aiming at improving oral health of medically compromised patients. Review studies including those that use conceptual frameworks for oral and general disease pathways on any of the aforementioned topics will also be welcomed.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Pathways linking periodontal diseases and dental infection to chronic conditions
• Severe dental caries and general wellbeing of children
• Oral health and healthy aging
• Interventions utilizing common risk factors of oral and general conditions