85% of Italians suffer from gum or dental problems, but the majority continues to underestimate the profound link between oral health and systemic diseases. It is one of the most relevant data emerging from the survey of the Nomisma Oral Hygiene Observatory and ReS Foundation, presented today in the Senate, on the occasion of the launch of the first Multidisciplinary Scientific Committee for Oral and Systemic Health.
In a historical moment in which prevention and integration between medical disciplines are becoming increasingly central, the new Committee represents an unprecedented initiative in Italy. Born under the aegis of the Italian Federation of Medical-Scientific Societies (Fism), the permanent working table brings together institutions, scientific societies, clinicians, researchers and two important universities – Sapienza University of Rome and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – with the scientific coordination of Professor Enrico Gherlone, advisor appointed by the Minister of Health for dentistry.
The objective is ambitious but clear: to make the prevention of oral diseases a national public health priority and strengthen awareness of the role of the mouth as the first indicator of general health. The project, carried out with the non-conditional contribution of Procter & Gamble as part of the initiative “In Bocca alla Salute”arises from the observation that oral health is still one of the most underestimated challenges for the National Health Service today, despite the solid scientific evidence demonstrating its systemic impact.
The mouth, in fact, is a real entrance door for the organism. Plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation favor the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria – such as Porphyromonas gingivalis – capable of releasing toxins that can spread throughout the body and contribute to the development of chronic diseases. Scientific literature associates gum disease with an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular events (heart attack and stroke), neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid arthritis and pregnancy complications.
According to the Nomisma-ReS survey, however, Italians’ awareness remains very low: 88% ignore the link between oral hygiene and cognitive diseases, 74% that with diabetes, 49% with cardiovascular diseases. Only 63% of people suffering from systemic diseases declare having received information on the possible correlation with oral health, almost always exclusively from the dentist.
In the face of clear ministerial guidelines – brush your teeth at least three times a day, use dental floss and fluoride toothpaste, undergo regular check-ups – real habits tell a different story: only one Italian in four uses an electric toothbrush, 27% use dental floss and 40% have given up dental visits or treatments, especially for economic reasons.
Yet investing in prevention could also produce significant benefits on an economic level. According to scenarios developed by Nomisma and the ReS Foundation, even a minimal reduction in the incidence of systemic pathologies related to poor oral hygiene – just one case in a thousand – could generate an annual saving of approximately 25.7 million euros for the National Health Service.
It is in this context that the Multidisciplinary Scientific Committee for Oral and Systemic Health was born, with the task of promoting dedicated health policies, collaborating with the Ministry of Health and promoting the updating and dissemination of national guidelines.
“Prevention starts from the mouth, which is our front door,” underlined the senator Elena Murellipromoter of the initiative, recalling how the dentist can intercept early signs of systemic diseases, including some autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease.
For the president of Fism Loreto Gesualdoinvesting in oral health means “preventing chronic-degenerative diseases that are very costly for the NHS and ensuring sustainability of the system”.
A concept also reiterated by the professor Antonio Gasbarriniscientific director of the Gemelli Polyclinic, who highlighted the key role of the oral microbiota as a new health indicator and potential predictive tool for various pathologies.
The birth of the Committee thus marks the start of a structured path that aims to move oral health from the margin to the center of prevention policies, transforming it into a pillar of the overall well-being of the population.
