Oral health can no longer be treated separately from general health, according to a new white paper from the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) and the European Association of Dental Public Health (EADPH) which calls for closer collaboration between dental, medical, public-health and social-care professionals.
Oral health and systemic health outcomes: a call for interdisciplinary action, developed by a joint EFP/ EADPH working group supported by Oral-B, brings together evidence from periodontology, medicine and dental public health and sets out recommendations for clinical practice, policy, education and research. The white paper was launched today at the 2026 Oral Health Research Congress in Lisbon, Portugal, during the symposium “Oral and systemic health – A call to action!” (1).
Oral diseases affect around 3.5 billion people worldwide. The white paper highlights that they share important, modifiable risk factors (including free sugar, tobacco and alcohol consumption, as well as social and commercial determinants) with major non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Inadequate oral hygiene represents an additional oral-specific risk factor.
Authors argue that this common ground makes a strong case for integrating oral health into general health strategies, through a common risk factor approach, rather that managing diseases in separate silos. Action is needed at multiple levels, from policies addressing the wider determinants of health, to community prevention and individual clinical care.
Among oral diseases, periodontitis currently has the strongest evidence for interactions with overall health. Associations have been demonstrated between gum disease and several systemic conditions, although the strength and nature of the evidence vary. Importantly, treatment of periodontitis has been shown to improve glycaemic control in people with diabetes and to improve inflammatory and vascular surrogate markers, while evidence for an effect on major clinical events remains limited.
Moritz Kebschull, principal author of the paper and past president of the EFP, who presented the periodontal perspective at the symposium, said: “Oral health deserves a place within a more integrated approach to patient care. Periodontitis is preventable and treatable, and we have good evidence that treating inflammation in the gums can also benefit important systemic outcomes, particularly glycaemic control in people with diabetes. Greater awareness, appropriate screening and referral between dental and medical teams could therefore make a meaningful difference to patients.”
The white paper was developed following a joint EFP/EADPH working group meeting held in Frankfurt in January 2026 (3). It brought together experts in periodontology, dental public health, epidemiology and prevention, with public health stakeholders and representatives of organized medicine. Participants reviewed epidemiological, mechanistic, prevention and health -systems evidence before developing consensus recommendations.
The publication was authored by several leading figures within the EFP and EADPH. Those from the EFP include former secretary general Nicola West, past presidents Moritz Kebschull, Phoebus Madianos, Andreas Stavropoulos, and Anton Sculean, current president Mia Rakić, scientific affairs committee chair James Deschner, postgraduate education committee chair Nikos Donos, and deputy chair Wim Teughels. Those from the EADPH include Kenneth Eaton, Nigel Pitts, Raman Bedi, Huda Yusuf, Gitana Rederiene, Orsolya Nemeth and the current EADPH president Stephanie Tubert.
The paper has been published in Periodontology 2000, the highest-ranked journal in dentistry, oral surgery and medicine, with an impact factor of 17.8 (2). The journal is edited by Anton Sculean, EFP secretary general.
Dr William Minston, Scientific Relations Director at Oral-B, commented: “At Oral-B, we are committed to advancing overall health through better oral health. We are delighted to see this important research recognized by Periodontology 2000, the leading journal in dentistry, oral surgery and medicine. Publication in such a prestigious journal underscores the growing body of evidence connecting oral health with broader health outcomes and reinforces the importance of continued scientific collaboration in this field.”
A central message of the paper is that better evidence alone will not be enough. Prevention and integrated care remain under-implemented and oral health needs to be embedded more firmly within healthcare systems, NCD strategies and universal health care coverage.
The recommendations call for oral health to be recognized as a public-health priority, for effective, evidence-base prevention, management and rehabilitation to reach all population groups. Oral health, prevention and interprofessional collaboration must also be incorporated into the education of health and social care professionals.
The paper also stresses that progress should not be measured only through improvements in average oral and systemic health outcomes. Policies and interventions should reduce avoidable inequalities between socioeconomic groups, different stages of life and vulnerable populations.
EFP president, Mia Rakić explains: “Oral health policy cannot sit apart from wider health policy. If we are serious about preventing non-communicable diseases, improving universal healthcare coverage and reducing health inequalities, oral health must be included in those strategies from the outset. This white paper provides policy makers with an evidence-based framework for moving from recognition of the oral-systemic connection, to practical, coordinated action across professions and sectors.”
The white paper concludes with a clear call for shared responsibility: oral health should be integrated into general healthcare through sustained collaboration between dental and medical professional, public health authorities, educators, policymakers, patients and communities.
