The IL-1β receptor stimulates the activation of signal transducers, Janus kinases (JAK), and activators of transcription (STATs), which then stimulate pathways involving mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), which in turn supports the development of carcinogenesis, and this may explain the reasons for the elevated IL-1β levels in the saliva of the smokers diagnosed with dental caries. Here, WNK2 is linked to dental caries.