Periodontitis Essay

1538 Words4 Pages

Periodontitis, the most common chronic inflammatory disease known world-wide, is characterized by pathologically-excessive degradation of collagen and other connective tissue constituents and accelerated resorption of the alveolar bone in the periodontal supporting structures of the teeth including the gingiva, periodontal ligament and the alveolar bone. Nationwide, the prevalence of periodontal disease, in some form, is known to affect up to 50% of the adult population and is a substantial inflammatory burden which can be detrimental to over-all systemic health. In this regard, this common dental disease, chronic periodontitis, has, over the past few decades, been increasingly linked to a variety of medical diseases such as cardiovascular …show more content…

It is among the most common chronic inflammatory diseases known to mankind and is recognized as the major cause of tooth loss in adults (1). In the USA, the prevalence of periodontal disease, in some form, is known to affect up to 48% of the adult population, distributed as 8.7% for mild, 30.0% for moderate, and 8.5% for severe periodontitis, making it a leading problem in oral healthcare, which also has systemic implications (2).
For decades, periodontal disease has been known to be initiated by bacteria, organized as a plaque or microbial biofilm adherent to the teeth, particularly anaerobic gram-negative microorganisms such as Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola (ie., the “red complex”; (3)) and others. An important mechanism involves their microbial products, notably lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or endotoxin (a constituent of the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria), that induces inflammation in the adjacent gingival/periodontal tissues. However, it is now widely recognized that the breakdown of collagen and other connective tissue constituents of the gingiva and periodontal ligament, as well as osteoclast-mediated resorption of the alveolar bone, is largely mediated by the host response

More about Periodontitis Essay

Open Document