Helicobacter pylori bacteria (HPB) is one of the most common gastric infections in the world. It seems that HPB infects the subject early in life and is transmitted from person to person. The oral cavity could be a reservoir of HPB participating in infection transmission. HPB and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) show similar clinical and histological findings, and the discovery of HPB in RAS ulcers support the idea of a correlation between the two diseases. Another important relationship between RAS and HPB is the high incidence of anemia in patients with RAS that may be caused by HPB. In fact, antibiotic therapy and treatment of anemia can reduce the frequency of RAS ulcer recurrence. HPB is considered a carcinogenic agent type 1 of the stomach. In conclusion, the oral cavity is an extra-gastric reservoir of HPB and periodontal therapy associated with systemic therapy can better eradicate HPB from the mucosa of all gastro-enteric tract. Prospective cohort studies are needed to demonstrate the bacterial action in the oral cavity.
Keywords: Systemic diseases; oral biology; oral cavity; periodontal disease.
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