Supporting Oral-Systemic Health

By Sean G. Boynes, DMD, MS; David M. Krol, MD, MPH, FAAP; and Mark Deutchman, MD

The upper gastrointestinal system contains one of the most multifunctional organs of the human body, the oral cavity. Systemic diseases and disorders have a significant negative effect on the oral cavity’s ability to function and contribute to health and well-being. Conversely, disorders that originate here may negatively impact other organs. Given the importance and complex functionality of the oral cavity, the healthcare system must recognize and address this oral-systemic connection to enhance patients’ quality of life. Though medicine and dentistry have been separated by financing, training, and education, practice location, language, and even anatomy, the two disciplines must work together in addressing the shared health of patients.

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