A new expert-led podcast series for oral care professionals, Let’s Talk Oral Health, has been launched to provide the latest research insights in dental health. The 2026 series features world-leading experts discussing a range of topics, from oral microbiome balance to periodontal medicine and the role of dental hygienists.
Developed by GUM, a Sunstar oral health brand, the series brings together many internationally recognized specialists: Prof. Wim Teughels (Belgium),Dr. Crystal Marruganti (Italy/UK), Brittany Glauz, BSDH, RDH (USA) and Prof. Bruno Loos (the Netherlands).
Across the 45-minute to one-hour episodes, the experts discuss their specialist topics, latest research and clinical insights in a practical way to assist dental professionals in applying the concepts into day-to-day care, prevention planning and patient communication.
Podcast hosts Rachel Chau, DDS, Global Head of Medical and Clinical Affairs and Martijn Verhulst, PhD, Medical Affairs Lead at Sunstar, said: “We’re very pleased to launch our Let’s Talk Oral Health series with these globally recognized experts who each bring their specialist insight and research knowledge to modern periodontal medicine and signify the crucial role of daily oral care rituals for healthier gums, mouths and our systemic health.”
Let’s Talk Oral Health experts and topic areas
| Expert | Topic | Expert opinion |
| Prof. Wim Teughels is Professor of Periodontology at KU Leuven, Belgium and an internationally recognized researcher specializing in the oral microbiome, periodontal disease, and microbiome modulation strategies. His work has contributed to the shift toward ecosystem-based thinking in oral health, with a focus on translating microbiological insights into clinical relevance. To date, his research has been published in 200 papers in international journals, three edited books and over ten book chapters. He has received five national and three international awards and is frequently invited to give lectures on the topic of probiotics and antimicrobials across Europe and internationally. | Is killing bacteria the wrong way? The future of oral microbiome modulation Our understanding of oral health has shifted from viewing bacteria as a problem to be eliminated, to recognizing the oral microbiome as a complex ecosystem that requires balance. Concepts such as eubiosis, dysbiosis and microbial resilience are reshaping how clinicians think about prevention, disease progression and long-term oral health management. Prof. Wim Teughels draws on decades of research to explore how microbial balance is maintained, what disrupts it, and how emerging approaches may help support a resilient oral ecosystem.
| Prof. Wim Teughels explores emerging approaches to oral microbiome modulation, why the oral microbiome represents a paradigm shift away from plaque quantity toward ecosystem balance, the difference between eubiosis and dysbiosis, and what each means for oral and systemic health. Other areas discussed include what microbiome resilience is, why it matters, and how it can support health, or reinforce disease and how emerging strategies such as prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, and symbiotics are being studied for oral health applications. |
| Dr. Crystal Marruganti is a periodontal expert, international academic and lecturer who bridges clinical practice limited to periodontics and academic research. Dr. Crystal Marruganti completed her specialist clinical and research training in Periodontology in Italy, earning her PhD in 2023. Her work in private practice in London focuses on periodontology, including advanced periodontitis, gum recession and peri-implantitis cases. She also teaches and conducts research at the University of Siena and previously held an honorary research fellowship at UCL in London. Her work on lifestyle, multimorbidity and periodontal health is internationally recognized and she received a Forbes 30 Under 30 nomination for her contributions to the oral-systemic field. She has published over 50 articles in international journals and is an Editorial Board member of the Journal of Osseointegration and the Journal of Periodontal Research and a reviewer for the leading journals in Periodontology and Implant Dentistry. | Lifestyle medicine and oral-systemic health Periodontal disease rarely happens in isolation. Dr. Crystal Marruganti explores multimorbidity – the overlap of periodontal disease with conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease – and how lifestyle and behavior shape outcomes. Listeners will learn how to translate this perspective into everyday decision-making, from risk assessment to treatment planning and patient coaching.
| Expert opinion Areas discussed by Dr. Crystal Marruganti include what multimorbidity means and how it differs from traditional comorbidity models in medicine, along with how shared inflammatory and microbiome pathways connect periodontitis with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and skin conditions. She advises oral health professionals how to assess lifestyle and systemic risk chairside using simple questionnaires and screening tools and practical behavior change strategies to support smoking cessation, healthier routines, and more sustainable home care for patients.
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| Brittany Glauz, BSDH, RDH is a dental hygienist, educator and founder of BrushwithBritt, a U.S.-based platform dedicated to advancing prevention-focused care and elevating the role of hygienists within modern healthcare. A recipient of the World Hygienist Award (2024) and the RDH Award of Distinction (2023), sponsored by the Sunstar Foundation, she is a leading voice in the next generation of dental hygiene. Her work focuses on patient education, professional advocacy, and strengthening the integration of oral health within broader medical care systems. Through her global platform, podcast and educational content, Brittany supports students, new graduates, and practicing clinicians with practical, experience-driven insight, empowering hygienists to practice with confidence, clinical excellence, and a prevention-first mindset. | Conveying the importance of prevention Dental hygienists are playing an increasingly visible role in prevention, patient education and whole-body health. From chairside conversations to digital platforms, hygienists are shaping how patients understand oral care and how the profession itself is perceived. A practicing dental hygienist, educator and creator, Brittany brings a practitioner’s perspective to the evolving role of hygiene in prevention-focused care and explores how hygienists can educate, motivate, and advocate, both in practice and beyond.
| Expert opinion Brittany Glauz discusses practical ways to explain prevention so it feels relevant to patients with different communication styles and limited chair time. She explains strategies for motivating patients who struggle with daily routines and realistic first steps. Brittany outlines what effective collaboration between dentistry and medicine looks like in practice, including initiating referrals and oral-systemic conversations for higher-risk patients. She also explores the influence of social media on oral health education and the opportunities it creates for hygienists to build trust and shape patient behavior.
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| Prof. Bruno Loos is Professor Emeritus of Periodontology at ACTA, the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam, Netherlands. With over three decades of experience in periodontal medicine, Prof. Bruno Loos has led foundational research on the oral-systemic link, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, immune fitness and emerging biomarker science. His collaborations span ACTA, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and global research centers. Previously, he was Director of Research at ACTA and co-director of ACTA’s research program ‘Oral Infections and Inflammation’. Loos is still involved in research projects related to the susceptibility/genetics, microbiology and immunobiology of periodontal diseases, metagenomics of periodontitis infections and computational biology of this complex disease. | The oral-systemic connection Periodontal disease touches nearly every part of whole-body health. Prof. Bruno Loos shares decades of research that reveals how inflammation, immunity, systemic conditions and lifestyle shape periodontal outcomes and what oral care professionals can do with that knowledge to strengthen prevention and patient communication.
| Expert opinion Prof. Bruno Loos explores how periodontal disease, diabetes and cardiovascular conditions influence one another and why inflammation sits at the center of chronic disease development. Other areas answered during the podcast include the emerging role of immune fitness in oral health, what Ozempic and GLP-1 medications might mean for periodontal care and how AI and predictive tools could shape the future of periodontal medicine.
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All episodes will be available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple podcasts. For further information, click here.
