Etoy, Switzerland – November 04, 2026 -- Sunstar, the Japanese-founded oral healthcare company, has launched the Sunstar Mouth-to-Body Health Institute, a global research body built to test how oral health affects disease elsewhere in the body, after more than 40 years of funding oral-systemic research.
Institute links dentistry, medicine and public health under one research platform
The Institute will bring together researchers, clinicians and scientific leaders from dentistry, medicine, microbiology, immunology, nutrition, behavioural science and public health. Its initial research covers periodontal health science, the oral microbiome and the connection between oral health and overall health.
A Global Scientific Advisory Board will provide scientific guidance and oversight, supported by Institute members from multiple disciplines.
Aging populations and chronic disease drive demand for integrated care evidence
Healthcare systems face the combined pressure of aging populations and rising chronic disease, yet oral health and general health are still largely managed separately. Researchers are already studying how oral bacteria, chronic inflammation, immune responses and oral microbiome changes may influence health beyond the mouth, but the evidence is not equally strong across conditions.
The Institute will examine what is established and what still needs testing. It will also work to convert new findings into practical benefits for healthcare professionals and the public.
Buffalo dental dean says new tools make cross-institution studies possible
Dr. Marcelo W.B. Araujo, Co-Chair of the Institute and Dean and Professor of the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, said researchers now have tools and analytical techniques to study oral-systemic relationships in ways not previously possible, which requires collaboration across disciplines and institutions.
Jennifer Zhu, Sunstar's Global Head of Research & Development, Consumer Business, said the company hopes the science will eventually let people worldwide manage their oral and overall health as an everyday habit.