Microbial Etiology of Chronic Periodontitis

This book is based upon a case-control study which was conducted to evaluate the role of herpes viruses in chronic periodontitis patients. The prevalence of periodontal diseases is very high throughout the world and in India. The high prevalence is attributed to lack of awareness about the oral hygiene, habits, lack of dental care facilities etc. Chronic periodontitis is a complex disease with wide aetiology which ranges from aerobic / anaerobic bacteria. There has been a significant contribution of herpes viruses too mainly; Herpes simplex 1 and 2, Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein Barr Virus (EBV). The association of Herpes viruses in chronic periodontitis is based upon the presence of millions of copies of viral genome in an active periodontal disease site and absent in healthy gingiva. Therefore, the proposed bacterial ¿ viral etiopathogenesis model of periodontitis needs to be verified by clinical and microbiological studies. This book gives an insight to the dental health professionals about the different pros and cons while planning such studies and gives an idea about the different strategies that can be implemented to reduce the incidence of periodontitis.