The nature of the diseases that oral medicine specialists diagnose and treat throughout the oral and maxillofacial region are diverse and often closely related to other dental and medical specialties. Furthermore, there is no specific research training programme in oral medicine in Nordic countries, yet many published PhD theses are oral medicine related.
For all Nordic countries, there is a trend in an aging population and increasing immigration influx requiring specific knowledge in the subject of oral medicine. Additionally, the advancement of medical treatments, often affecting the oral and maxillofacial region, creates a new panorama for the discipline requiring oral medicine to become more integrated into primary health care. Prevention and treatment of oral diseases should be as important to manage as diseases affecting other parts of the body. This can be achieved through interdisciplinary collaborations and educational programmes. Therefore, the concept of oral medicine should in the future more greatly emphasize oral health care in general medicine.