Dear Colleagues,

Oral disorders, and notably periodontitis, are extremely frequent and have a knock-on effect on the overall health and quality of life of patients. Beyond the most visible consequences of a poor oral–dental state, the gingival inflammatory condition has also been identified as a risk factor for a growing number of medical diseases and disabilities. The commonly accepted model of periodontitis pathogenesis relies on the emergence of pathogenic bacteria that colonize the tooth surface and gingival sulcus. However, the growing evidence supports the assumption that different viruses, notably from the herpesvirus group, may also act as critical players in pathogenesis, leading to the proposal of a new paradigm in periodontitis ethiopathogenesis. However, while extensive research efforts have been dedicated to the study of the periodontitis-associated microflora, the topic of oral viral infections represents a theme which, although essential, has so far been relatively little studied in oral diseases.

In this Special Issue, we would like to provide comprehensive overviews over important aspects of the molecular events in viral oral pathogenesis, with a particular focus on periodontitis and gingival-associated inflammatory condition. Potential topics include, without being limited to, the following:

Although it is now well recognized that the level of herpesvirus infections increases with periodontitis severity, little is known regarding the mechanisms that may explain the viral pathogenicity.

The current treatment of periodontal diseases mainly relies on bacterial removal through cleansing and root planning. It should likely require revision to consider novel therapy targeting both herpes viruses and bacterial pathogens to provide long-term clinical improvement and reduce the potential risk of systemic diseases.

Oral sites are the major entry-points for many viruses and serve as reservoirs facilitating the persistence and spread of viral infections to the rest of the body. It thus seems of critical importance to have a better understanding of the relationship between oral viral presence and the occurrence of systemic diseases.

Dr. Alain Doglio
Guest Editor

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• Virus-associated oral diseases
• Viral–bacterial synergistic interaction
• Ethiopathogenesis of periodontitis
• Antiviral treatment of periodontitis
• Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)
• Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)
• Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
• Oral viruses