Oral Pathogens and Metagenomics: The Oral Contribution to Systemic Inflammatory Burden

Presented by: Thomas Nabors, DDS

Original Publication Date: September 27, 2013

Course Description:

Embark on a comprehensive journey into the intricate relationship between oral pathogens and their profound impact on both oral and systemic health. In this course, we will delve deep into medical and dental peer-reviewed literature, dissecting the behaviors of specific oral bacteria, their interactions with local tissues, their immune evasion tactics, and their unique abilities to trigger various inflammatory pathways. As a clinician, you will gain the essential skills to assess the risks associated with these oral pathogens, particularly their role in fostering periodontitis and implant infections. Additionally, our exploration of peer-reviewed research from both medical and dental sources will uncover the profound connections between the dissemination of these specific oral pathogens and heightened cardiovascular risks, including hypertension, atherosclerotic vascular disease, heart attacks, and ischemic strokes. This course is your gateway to a comprehensive understanding of the intricate relationship between oral microbiology and overall health, equipping you with valuable insights to improve patient care and outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze medical and dental peer-reviewed literature to explore specific oral bacteria, their interactions with local tissues, their mechanisms of immune evasion, and their unique abilities to trigger various inflammatory pathways.
• Evaluate and assess the clinician's ability to interpret the associated risks in both oral and systemic health posed by specific oral pathogens, particularly in the context of periodontitis and implant infections.
• Analyze peer-reviewed literature from medical and dental sources to uncover and understand the connections between the dissemination of specific oral pathogens and the increased risks of cardiovascular conditions, including hypertension, atherosclerotic vascular disease, heart attacks, and ischemic strokes.

Speaker Bio:

Thomas Nabors has lectured extensively for many years to numerous universities, numerous dental state meetings and associations, and physician groups on the subjects of the Oral / Systemic Link, molecular diagnostics, and its practical application to periodontal disease, peri-implant diseases, genetics, risk management, classification, and therapy. His interest in microbiology, genetics, and molecular diagnostics spans 30 years. His experience in the clinical application of DNA-PCR (nucleic acid) tests and the founder of a molecular diagnostics CLIA-certified clinical laboratory makes him uniquely qualified as an educator. He has published many articles on molecular diagnostics, its clinical application, and the use of whole saliva as a diagnostics platform.

Dr. Nabors saw the need for earlier and more accurate disease detection and management for periodontal infections. With the advancement of molecular diagnostics in medicine, he founded Oral DNA Labs, Inc., with the help of an experienced team in 2008. Today, he is retired from Oral DNA and is not affiliated with the company. However, he continues his interest in helping dentists and their teams apply the advantages of molecular diagnostics to the benefit of their patients.