Oral health depends on the intergrity of the oral mucosa for prevention of the penetration of microbes and macromolecules that might be infectious, allergenic or antigenic. The intraoral immune systems include the tonsils, adenoids and nasopharyngeal-associated lymphoreticular tissue, or NALT. Mucosal inductive sites of the gastrointestinal tract(Peyer's patches and the appendix) and solitary lymph nodes collectively compose the gut-associated lymphoreticualr tissue, or GALT system. Both NALT and GALT are inductive regions where foreign antigens derived from viruses, bacteria, yeast and other molecules are encountered. The integration of tissues in NALT and GALT as part of the mucosal immune system, is very important to keep the oral immune system.