DONTE GROUP, a leading dental care group in Spain, has signed a collaboration agreement with Spiral, an international company specialising in biodata and genetic analysis, and with Telefónica, Google Cloud, and CEU San Pablo University to carry out a bioinformatic analysis using artificial intelligence and Big Data storage.

According to Dr. Ana Adell Pérez, Head Researcher of the Dentistry research team at CEU San Pablo University in Madrid, "the importance and association of oral microbiota in the overall health of the patient is becoming increasingly evident. A significant number of recent scientific studies and publications support this."

This innovative large-scale scientific study, involving over 2.200 volunteers and which will be conducted in Spain through DONTE GROUP dental clinics, is expected to last approximately three years and will contribute to expanding knowledge in this crucial area of medicine, providing invaluable information about the relationship between oral microbiota and general health.

Numerous studies suggest that having certain bacterial species in a high degree of uncontrolled infection predisposes the patient to certain non-communicable chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases (the leading cause of death worldwide with 17.5 million deaths per year and the leading cause in Spain with approximately 29% of total deaths); stroke (affecting 120.000 Spaniards and causing 18.000 deaths each year, which accounts for 15% of those diagnosed); Alzheimer's (more than 800.000 people have this disease in Spain; colon cancer (Spain will diagnose more than 42.000 cases of colon cancer in 2023); diabetes (14.8% of Spaniards suffer from this condition); as well as adverse effects during pregnancy, etc. However, the exact mechanisms of interaction between oral microbiota and the rest of the body are yet unknown. "The study results will impact how we view and understand oral health as an essential part of the patient's overall health and will change the way we treat the oral cavity as an isolated organ within our body," says Dr. Clara Esteban, the medical director of DONTE GROUP.

The procedure will involve collecting the necessary information from anonymous and voluntary DONTE GROUP patients using bacteriological genetic tests from Spiral. With this protocol and the help of new technologies from Telefónica and Google, all clinical information can be linked, identifying the relationship between bacterial species of oral microbiota and other parameters. This will allow for determination of whether oral dysbiosis is related as a risk factor in the development of the aforementioned non-communicable chronic diseases. "This innovative scientific study will highlight the significant correlation of dental, medical, and scientific information. It will furthermore enable the development of new therapies and personalised treatments for patient health, covering all angles," emphasises Spiral’s CEO, Francisco Tercero-Mora.

 "In this way” Tercero-Mora adds, “we can establish and incorporate new risk factors that will help us prevent, diagnose, and treat conditions that were initially believed to be less closely related to the patient's oral cavity."