The role of infections in oral health and dentistry

The oral cavity is the main site through which pathogens enter the human body from the external environment. The human oral cavity is rich in microbial flora, housing a variety of microbes, including bacteria, fungi but is also known to be inhabited by a truly diverse viral community. All this together forms a complex ecological community that affects both oral and systemic health. Herpes viruses, papilloma viruses, picornaviruses/enteroviruses, retroviruses and recently identified redondoviridae can cause a variety of oral infections. The aim of the study was to provide currently known information on the role of viruses in causing oral diseases. Online databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science) were searched, and the literature of the last 10 years (2010 -2020) was analysed and compiled. The articles included studies performed by researchers of European and American Continents. Herpes viruses are the most widely involved in causing infectious diseases of the oral cavity. However, in addition to the classically known clinical manifestations of Human herpes viruses, studies have found presence of HSV, EBV and CMS in pulp and periapical inflammation, acute, chronic periodontitis and periimplantitis. A causal relationship between chronic periodontitis and EBV as well as periodontopathic bacteria has been found. Studies are carried out to determine whether EBV is involved in oral lichen planus, Sjogren’s syndrome and aphthous stomatitis pathogenesis as well as ongoing studies on the involvement of EBV and HPV in the pathogenesis of squamous cell carcinoma. New studies are emerging on the involvement of HHV-7 in the origin of periodontitis and oral lichen planus. Studies show that human herpes viruses play an important role in various inflammatory diseases of the tissues and structures of oral cavity, often in interaction with oral bacteria, their products of metabolism and the head and neck immune system.