CONNECTIVE TISSUE OF THE PERIODONTIUM: NORMAL AND DISEASED - A LITERATURE REVIEW

Dr. Suchetha Aghanashini, Dr. Aditi Gupta*, Dr. Darshan Basavaraj Mundinamane, Dr. Sapna Nadiger, Dr. Apoorva Sokke Mallikarjunappa and Dr. Anusha Dhulipala

ABSTRACT

The periodontium is a distinctive anatomical region that contains four distinct connective tissues the gingiva, periodontal ligament, cementum, and alveolar bone. These tissues are continuously subjected to mechanical and chemical alteration due to the constant masticatory pressures and oral microbiota, but they are nonetheless able to preserve their structural and functional integrity within their physiological limits. However, disease results when the delicate balance between host defence and bacterial pathogenicity is compromised. Following the elimination and control of the offending chemicals, healing of the tissue occurs, and the periodontium's health may be recovered. The periodontal tissues exhibit all of the typical signs and symptoms of a tissue undergoing considerable degradative and reconstructive changes under pathological conditions, which either result in decreased tissue function or healing of the damage. Repair of injured tissues is a crucial physiologic reaction required for the protection of the dentition. However, healing in the form of tissue regeneration is less predictable once the damaging stages reach the deeper periodontal structures. Various diseases seen in clinical practise are linked to changes in the resident cells or connective tissue matrices, or both. Additionally, connective tissue components have a lot of promise for use in tracking tissue changes and might be developed to help with periodontal diagnostics. Many breakdown products from an infected periodontium can be found in the gingival crevicular fluid, including plasma proteins, bacterial and leukocytic enzymes, and inflammatory mediators. Therefore, it would be very useful to create an assay that could identify components specific to periodontal ligament or bone. The aim of this study is to integrate the principles of molecular and cellular biology with rudimentary knowledge of connective tissue and its make-up and same is then applied to normal and diseased connective tissues of the periodontium.

Keywords: Connective tissue, periodontitis, collagen, Gingival crevicular fluid.