Periodontitis, a form of chronic gum disease that affects
nearly half of the U.S. adult population, results when the bacterial community
in the mouth becomes unbalanced, leading to inflammation and eventually bone
loss. In its most severe form, which affects 8.5 percent of U.S. adults,
periodontitis can impact systemic health.
By blocking a molecular receptor that bacteria normally
target to cause the disease, scientists from the University of Pennsylvania
have now demonstrated an ability in a mouse model to both prevent periodontitis
from developing and halt the progression of the disease once it has already
developed.