Authors: Natalie J. Anderson, Vincent S. Gallicchio.
Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease of the tissues making up the periodontium that consists of alveolar bone resorption, recession of the gingiva, as well as damage to the periodontal ligament and cementum caused by accumulation of bacteria in the oral cavity. The method of treatment is dependent upon the depth of pocket formation and stage of disease advancement. When pockets are at a depth between 4 and 5 mm, nonsurgical treatments such as scaling, root planing, and antibiotics are used to treat. Surgical methods are used, however, when pockets are deeper than 5 mm. Both nonsurgical and surgical treatments currently used have limited capabilities to regenerate parts of the periodontium. The discovery of periodontal ligament-derived mesenchymal stem cells and their ability to generate cementoblasts, osteoblasts, adipocytes, chondroblasts, and fibroblasts in vitro that all contribute to the formation of the periodontium. This paper discusses the aims of current and future research on periodontal ligament stem cells and their potential to regenerate the periodontal ligament, as well as the entire periodontium.
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