Host responses in the etiology and pathogenesis of periodontal disease

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory condition of the supporting structures of teeth. This condition is actually considered to be caused by a number of different diseases, possibly associated with different etiologies, rather than a single disease. Due to limitations in our present understanding of cellular and molecular events involved in the pathogenesis of various periodontal diseases, many therapeutic failures still occur. For this reason, studies concerning the responses of the host to pathogenic bacteria are thought to be critically important. This review presents current opinions on the role of host responses in periodontal disease.