Emerging Therapies in Periodontics

Book excerpt: This book equips dental care providers with a thorough understanding of the emerging therapies that promise to revolutionize the clinical management of periodontal diseases. Existing therapies targeted to the oral microbiome alone often fail to provide favorable clinical outcomes. Local inflammation and tissue destruction may persist and periodontal tissue regeneration is not predictably achieved. In recognition of these shortcomings, current research efforts are focused on understanding the biological interactions between the host and the resident microbiome and identifying key molecules and molecular pathways that can be used for more targeted, individualized therapies that will restrain oral inflammation and restore periodontal tissue homeostasis. This book introduces novel concepts and molecules that are currently being tested in preclinical and clinical models. Readers will find detailed information from leading experts on specific therapeutic strategies targeting the host immune and inflammatory system, the oral microbiome, and regeneration.