Deschner James, Schröder Agnes, Weber Manuel, Galler Kerstin, Proff Peter, Kirschneck Christian, Bozec Aline, Jantsch Jonathan
Department of Periodontology and Operative Dentistry, University Medical Center Mainz, Augustusplatz 2, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
Department of Orthodontics, Universitätsklinikum Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
J Orofac Orthop. 2025 Jan;86(1):33-37. doi: 10.1007/s00056-023-00473-3. Epub 2023 Jun 14.
Although substantial progress has been made in dentistry in terms of diagnosis and therapy, current treatment methods in periodontology, orthodontics, endodontics, and oral and maxillofacial surgery, nevertheless, suffer from numerous limitations, some of which are associated with a dramatic reduction in the quality of life. Many general mechanisms of inflammation and immunity also apply to the oral cavity and oral diseases. Nonetheless, there are special features here that are attributable, on the one hand, to developmental biology and, on the other hand, to the specific anatomical situation, which is characterized by a close spatial relationship of soft and hard tissues, exposure to oral microbiota, and to a rapid changing external environment. Currently, a comprehensive and overarching understanding is lacking about how the immune system functions in oral tissues (oral immunology) and how oral immune responses contribute to oral health and disease. Since advances in translational immunology have created a game-changing shift in therapy in rheumatology, allergic diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, and oncology in recent years, it is reasonable to assume that a better understanding of oral immunology might lead to practice-changing diagnostic procedures and therapies in dentistry and thereby also profoundly improve oral health in general.
尽管牙科在诊断和治疗方面已取得重大进展，但牙周病学、正畸学、牙髓病学以及口腔颌面外科的当前治疗方法仍存在诸多局限性，其中一些局限性与生活质量的显著下降有关。许多炎症和免疫的一般机制也适用于口腔及口腔疾病。然而，这里存在一些特殊之处，一方面可归因于发育生物学，另一方面可归因于特定的解剖学情况，其特点是软硬组织的空间关系密切、暴露于口腔微生物群以及外部环境快速变化。目前，对于免疫系统在口腔组织中的功能（口腔免疫学）以及口腔免疫反应如何影响口腔健康和疾病，尚缺乏全面而总体的认识。由于近年来转化免疫学的进展在风湿病学、过敏性疾病、炎症性肠病和肿瘤学的治疗方面带来了改变游戏规则的转变，因此有理由认为，更好地理解口腔免疫学可能会导致牙科领域改变实践的诊断程序和治疗方法，从而总体上也能深刻改善口腔健康。
