Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), a widespread human herpesvirus, establishes lifelong latency and is linked to a range of systemic and oral diseases. Although primarily associated with infectious mononucleosis and lymphoproliferative disorders, its oral health implications are often overlooked. This review summarizes current insights into the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical aspects, and diagnostic methods of EBV in oral health. A comprehensive literature search using PubMed and Scopus databases identified studies focusing on EBV and its oral presentations, including keywords like “Epstein–Barr Virus,” “oral health,” “oral manifestations,” “oral hairy leukoplakia,” “periodontal disease,” and “oral squamous cell carcinoma”. EBV-related oral lesions include palatal petechiae, pharyngeal erythema, oral hairy leukoplakia, and ulcers, with emerging links to periodontal diseases and oral cancer. Diagnosis relies on clinical assessment, histopathology, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), in situ hybridization, and serology. Management is generally supportive; antiviral therapy and multidisciplinary care may be warranted in immunocompromised patients, underscoring the importance of early detection and treatment. Dentists play a pivotal role in recognizing EBV manifestations, implementing infection control, and ensuring comprehensive care through multidisciplinary collaboration. However, heterogeneity in study methods, diagnostic definitions, and clinical endpoints limits causal inference and clinical translation. To address these gaps, this review aims to advance a standardized clinicopathologic framework, using consistent diagnostic criteria, defined viral-load thresholds, and relevant host factors to quantify EBV’s links with periodontitis and oral potentially malignant disorders/oral squamous cell carcinoma and to guide an evidence-based screening and management algorithm for dental practice.
Sriram et al. (Tue,) studied this question.