Role of gene polymorphism in periodontal diseases

Periodontal diseases are inflammatory diseases of supporting structures of the tooth. It results in the destruction of the supporting structures and most of the destructive processes involved are host derived. The selective susceptibility of subjects for periodontitis has remained an enigma and wide varieties of risk factors have been implicated for the manifestation and progression of periodontitis. Genetic factors have been a new addition to the list of risk factors for periodontal diseases. With the availability of human genome sequence and the knowledge of the complement of the genes, it should be possible to identify the metabolic pathways involved in periodontal destruction and regeneration.