MtDNA And Oral Health

Much research suggests that oral health is impacted and connected to other biological factors in the body, but mtDNA's role in oral health has been understudied.Modern insights into the mechanics of mtDNA, however, have fueled recent research on how mtDNA interacts with other biological systems.Poor dental hygiene often results in the buildup of bacteria-containing plaque on teeth that causes the release of reactive oxygen species, or ROS.In the oral cavity, it is suspected that excessive production of ROS has the capacity to damage mtDNA and trigger various oral diseases.While mitochondria naturally produce ROS by way of respiration, mutated mtDNA often results in excessive production of ROS, causing a destructive cycle of unnatural ROS production and mtDNA damage.This makes dysfunctional mtDNA the culprit of many diseases.Knowledge about mtDNA, its various components, and associated factors aids in the development of precision medicine that targets the specific mtDNA-oral health interactions of individuals instead of focusing on universal or generalized medical aids and/or cures.In this review we produce a comprehensive overview about the various oral conditions that have a significant relationship to mtDNA.A better understanding of this connection allows for more efficient innovations to be made in gene targeted oral disease therapies.Such conditions as diabetes influence oral health and its linkages with mtDNA have been reported.We also investigate the role of advanced genetic tools such as CRISPR/Cas9 to address the problematic interactions of mtDNA and oral health.