Splice of life: toward understanding genetic determinants of oral diseases.

The introduction of recombinant DNA technology has led to a rapid advancement of our knowledge of genes and genomic structure. Such technology, applied to the human genome, has provided valuable information concerning the nature and possible treatment of inherited disorders throughout the human life span. A number of oral diseases can be attacked by use of molecular biological techniques in conjunction with genetic linkage analysis. It will be possible to identify carriers of inherited diseases, to utilize prenatal and antenatal diagnosis when appropriate, and to pursue studies on the mode of inheritance of specific oral diseases. Present and projected advances in this dimension of dental research provide the knowledge and strategies for approaching and solving a number of major problems as we continue to pave the way for improvements in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of many oral and craniofacial diseases. This position paper examines a few of the promising areas and suggests future goals toward establishing a knowledge of the genetic determinants for oral diseases.