The Role of TLRs in the Pathogenesis of Periodontal Diseases

Periodontitis is a complex and multi-factorial inflammatory disease. Dysbiotic microbial communities of keystone pathogens induce host response, which are also responsible for tissue- destructive inflammation and inflammatory bone loss. Microbiata in the microbial dental biofilm stimulate innate immunity via the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family of pattern-recognition receptors. TLRs recognize the antigens and activate pro-inflammatory cytokines in the periodontal tissues. The transition from gingivitis to periodontitis requires both a dysbioticmicrobiota and a susceptible host. Understanding the role of TLRs signaling in the periodontal health and disease may be helpful for providing new insight to the pathogenesis of periodontitis and developing new therapeutic approaches.