HYPOTHESIS AND THEORY article
Front. Dent. Med.
Sec. Periodontics
This article is part of the Research TopicPeriodontal Disease and Systemic Health: Translational Insights and Clinical ApproachesView all 8 articles
Oral Tolerance, a Potential Driver of Systemic Disease Risk in Periodontal Patients
Provisionally accepted
- Rare Opportunities LLC, Rockville, United States
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Periodontal disease is a recognized risk factor for sepsis, and cardiovascular disease. Oral bacteria, including viridans group of Streptococci, abundant in healthy oral microbiota, are often responsible for bacteremia and the development of chronic inflammation which has been identified as a contributing factor in systemic disease. Nonetheless, the immunological mechanisms underlying this connection remain to be fully explored. This article proposes that oral tolerance—the immune system's suppression of responses to antigens encountered repeatedly via the oral route—may play a critical role in heightening susceptibility to systemic diseases. By impairing clearance of oral bacteria entering the bloodstream, oral tolerance could contribute to conditions ranging from sepsis to cardiovascular pathology. This brief review outlines mechanistic insights, explores genetic and microbial influences, and suggests experimental approaches, aiming to advance research in oral-systemic health.
Keywords: oral tolerance1, Periodontitis2, Cardiovascular disease3, chronic inflammatory disease4, GALT5, immune switching6, infective endocarditis7, gut-associated lymphoid tissue8
Received: 08 Sep 2025; Accepted: 30 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Hubbs. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Alan Einar Hubbs
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