The Role ofExternal and Internal Factors in the Pathogenesis of Periodontitis and theImportance of Conservative Treatment

Overview

Summary:
The ability of bacteria of dental plaque to activate metallo-proteinases may beone of the key mechanisms of damage of the periodontal tissue. In a group of patients withearly onset periodontitis the authors investigated in the sulcular fluid, using the ELISAmethod, levels of the tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and the effect of conservative andantibiotic treatment. Reduction of the tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in sulcular fluid wasinfluenced most by conservative treatment, three months after antibiotic treatment a lowerlevel was recorded still in six of eight samples. The authors found that in treatment ofperiodontitis the most important part is played by conservative treatment. An important rolein the treatment of periodontitis is, however, played by all drugs which inactivate metallopro-teinases.

Key words:
periodontitis – conservative therapy – metalloproteinases