The Current Situation of Oral Health Problems in China and Its Public Health Policy Prevention Strategies

Oral health plays a vital role in overall health, with increasing evidence linking the oral microbiome to systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. This review explores the composition and mechanisms of key oral microorganisms, including commensal bacteria, opportunistic pathogens, and fungi, highlighting their roles in maintaining or disrupting oral ecological balance. The study further discusses how oral microbial imbalance contributes to local lesions (e.g., caries and periodontitis) and systemic effects through inflammation, pathogen dissemination, and molecular mimicry. Multidimensional factors such as diet, smoking, socioeconomic status, and environmental exposures are identified as key influences on oral microecology. Current oral health strategies face limitations, including overreliance on symptomatic treatment and poor coverage of preventive measures. In response, the paper proposes a graded prevention framework based on microbiome regulation, integrating tools like probiotics, AI diagnostics, and gene editing. Future directions include personalized intervention strategies, interdisciplinary collaboration, and policy reforms to address disparities. This review provides a theoretical foundation for shifting oral disease management from lesion-focused to microbiome-centered, contributing to national public health initiatives such as Healthy China 2030.