Open AccessHost modulatory agents in periodontics: A step towards the future
Author(s) -
Ajay Kumar Bhatt,
Vivek Govila,
Mona Sharma
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of international clinical dental research organization
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2231-5357
pISSN - 2231-0754
DOI - 10.4103/2231-0754.164380
Subject(s) - periodontology , periodontitis , scaling and root planing , medicine , tooth loss , disease , inflammation , host response , dentistry , bone remodeling , periodontal disease , aggressive periodontitis , intensive care medicine , chronic periodontitis , bioinformatics , immunology , immune system , pathology , biology , oral health
Periodontitis is a common inflammatory condition of the oral cavity. Successful management of periodontal disease and its sequelae basically focuses towards the reduction and/or elimination of pathogenic bacteria that are thought to cause periodontitis which has been accomplished by the use of mechanical treatment approaches including scaling, root planning, and finally surgical intervention. However, emerging evidence strongly suggests that it is the inflammatory response of the host that drives the tissue destruction, and the unpredictability of host responses can account for much of the variability in the clinical manifestation of periodontitis. Recently advances in study of bone metabolism are opening up new avenues of understanding regarding the bone loss subsequent to periodontitis. This knowledge, together with the development of novel drugs (e.g., alendronate, etidronate) which can inhibit bone loss/destruction, provides us with opportunities to target not only soft tissue inflammation but also the destructive bone loss occurring during periodontitis. The use of such agents as an adjunct to conventional periodontal therapy, not only reduces the current periodontal disease severity and improves treatment prognosis, but also reduce future susceptibility towards periodontal disease