The Mouth-to-Body Health Institute will bring together researchers, clinicians, and scientific experts from dentistry, medicine, microbiology, immunology, nutrition, behavioral science, and public health. Members will determine the first research programs during the Institute's launch meeting in Kyoto, Japan.
The initiative is intended to strengthen scientific understanding of how oral bacteria, chronic inflammation, immune responses, and changes in the oral microbiome may influence health beyond the mouth. However, the strength of existing evidence varies across systemic conditions.
According to the organization, current evidence does not support a general conclusion that improved oral care prevents systemic diseases such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Although the relationship between periodontitis and diabetes is among the better-evidenced oral-systemic associations, questions remain about whether oral health interventions can influence broader health outcomes.
The Institute will organize its activities around three areas: research excellence, innovation translation, and scientific engagement and communication. A Global Scientific Advisory Board will provide scientific guidance and oversight, supported by members representing multiple disciplines.
Marcelo W.B. Araujo, DDS, MS, PhD, co-chair of the Institute and dean and professor at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, said, “We now have research tools, analytical techniques and interdisciplinary capabilities that allow us to investigate oral-systemic relationships in ways that were not previously possible. Evidence linking oral health and overall health continues to grow, but important questions remain. We need a clearer understanding of biological mechanisms, clinical significance, and which findings support better health prevention and care. That requires collaboration across disciplines and across institutions. No single discipline can answer these questions alone.”
The Global Scientific Advisory Board will also include Iain Chapple, PhD, BDS, FDSRCPS, FDSRCS, CCST (Rest Dent), professor emeritus at the University of Birmingham, whose expertise includes periodontal disease and translational research; William V. Giannobile, DMSc, DDS, dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, whose work includes periodontology, oral regenerative medicine, and precision medicine; Shinya Murakami, DDS, PhD, professor emeritus at Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, whose expertise includes periodontology and regenerative dentistry; and Maurizio S. Tonetti, DMD, PhD, clinical professor of periodontology at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, whose expertise includes periodontal disease, oral-systemic health, and periodontal regeneration.
The Institute is being established and supported by Sunstar, a Japanese-founded oral healthcare company. According to Sunstar, the company has funded oral-systemic health research for more than 40 years, including education and research initiatives at the Joslin Diabetes Center, the University at Buffalo, the University of Pisa, the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam, and the University of Tokyo.
Previous projects include a 2019 study conducted with the Joslin Diabetes Center examining periodontal health among 170 people who had lived with type 1 diabetes for at least 50 years. Sunstar's collaboration with the University at Buffalo began with a research fellowship in 1979 led by periodontal researcher Robert Genco, DDS, PhD, and has included the Sunstar Robert J. Genco Endowed Chair since 2020.
Rachel Chau, co-chair of the Institute and global head of medical and clinical affairs at Sunstar, said, “Over the long term, we hope the Institute becomes the international leader in oral-systemic health, scientific engagement, innovation and improved health management.”
Jennifer Zhu, a member of the Global Scientific Advisory Board and global head of research and development, consumer business, at Sunstar, said, “The long-term opportunity extends beyond dentistry. Over time, new and stronger evidence could help identify fresh approaches to clinical education, preventative care and health technologies. Translation should not be the final step of the research; it should be part of the research journey from the beginning. Eventually, we hope this scientific advancement will enable people worldwide to take better control of their oral health and overall health as an everyday habit.”
More information is available at the Sunstar Mouth-to-Body Health Institute.
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