Pathogenesis of Periodontal Diseases

**3**

**Chapter 1**

**Abstract**

**1. Introduction**

Disease

*and Lizbeth Díaz-Alfaro*

Pathogenesis of Periodontal

*José Luis Muñoz-Carrillo, Viridiana Elizabeth Hernández-Reyes,* 

*Oscar Eduardo García-Huerta, Francisca Chávez-Ruvalcaba,* 

*María Isabel Chávez-Ruvalcaba, Karla Mariana Chávez-Ruvalcaba* 

Inflammation is a physiological response of the innate immune system against several endogenous or exogenous stimuli. Inflammation begins with an acute pattern; however, it can become chronic by activating the adaptive immune response through cellular and noncellular mechanisms. The main etiologic factor of periodontal disease is bacteria which substantially harbor the human oral cavity. The most common periodontal diseases are gingivitis and periodontitis, whose main characteristic is inflammation. The knowledge of how immune mechanisms and inflammatory responses are regulated is fundamental to understanding the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. The purpose of this chapter is to show the current panorama of the immunological mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease.

Periodontitis is a globally widespread pathology of the human oral cavity. Approximately 10% of the global adult population is highly vulnerable to severe periodontitis, and 10–15% appears to be completely resistant to it, while the remainder varies between these two situations [1]. Periodontitis is a major public health problem due to its high prevalence, as well as because it may lead to tooth loss and disability, negatively affect chewing function and aesthetics, be a source of social inequality, and impair the quality of life. Periodontitis accounts for a substantial proportion of edentulism and masticatory dysfunction, results in significant dental care costs, and has a plausible negative impact on general health [2].

The periodontium is a complex of tissues with blood vessels, nerves, and bundles of fibers, which provide nutrition and sensibility, supporting and investing the tooth. The periodontium has the potential for regeneration and remodeling throughout life, which allows the primary dentition to be transient and to be

**Keywords:** periodontal tissues, biofilm, inflammatory response,

innate and adaptive immunity, periodontitis

**2. Periodontal support tissues**
