The Oral Microbiome - The Front End of Internal Inflammatory Disease?

Presented by: Wayne Simmons, DMD

Original Lecture/ Publication Date: August 26, 2026 (Webinar Series)

Course Description:

We will discuss the causes, influences, and minimization that chronic oral dysbiosis has on systemic inflammatory diseases. This will include the various pathways by which the various facultative and anaerobic microbial species can invade the mesoderm via bacteremias into the vascular system- all due to chronic untreated dental diseases. I will present and discuss one particular patient treated and followed for fifteen consecutive years. The influence of an ongoing dental condition , which due to her refusal to treatment , resulted in a systemic inflammatory attack which ultimately led to the failure of a hip prosthesis. i will present DNA test results which conclusively demonstrate that the source of the failure of the hip prosthesis was due to a chronic anaerobic bacteremic oral microbiome. This presentation illustrates the need for elimination of all dental diseases which create ongoing chronic bacteremias. A thorough dental evaluation is essential at every dental appointment in order to identify early and prevent serious systemic inflammatory diseases.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the relationship between chronic oral dysbiosis and the development of systemic inflammatory diseases through bacteremia and microbial dissemination.
• Identify clinical signs of chronic oral infections that may increase a patient's risk for systemic inflammatory complications.
• Implement evidence-based dental hygiene, diagnostic, and treatment protocols aimed at reducing oral microbial burden and minimizing systemic inflammatory risk.

• Perform comprehensive oral evaluations at every patient visit to identify and treat chronic dental infections before they contribute to systemic disease.
• Incorporate oral-systemic risk assessments into interdisciplinary treatment planning, particularly for patients with prosthetic joints, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or other inflammatory conditions.
• Educate patients about the importance of treating chronic dental disease and maintaining oral hygiene as part of preventing long-term systemic inflammatory complications.

Speaker Bio:

Wayne Simmons, DMD is a board-certified prosthodontist and Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology with nearly five decades of experience in private practice specializing in prosthodontics and dental implant surgery. A graduate of the Medical University of South Carolina, he completed advanced prosthodontic training and later served as an Assistant Professor of Crown and Bridge Prosthodontics at the University of Texas Health Science Center College of Dental Medicine. Dr. Simmons is the holder of two U.S. patents for innovative dental implant technology and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID), the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP), and the Academy of Osseointegration (AO). His career reflects a lifelong commitment to advancing implant dentistry through clinical excellence, innovation, and education.