Role of Antioxidants in Periodontal Disease

Periodontitis is one of the most prevelant disease affecting about 10 to 15 percent of population worldwide. Dentist are constantly challenged with treating patients for existing conditions and helping them prevent future occurrences. Apart from standard treatments including oral prophylaxis and surgical intervention for periodontitis, dental health professionals in recent years have honed in on the inflammation that accompanies periodontitis. The real culprit with inflammation is oxidative stress, a disturbance in the balance of oxidants and antioxidants. Systemic factors such as a balanced nutrition or nutritional supplementation have not been thoroughly evaluated in periodontal research, although reports of the possible effects of nutrient deficiency and supplementation have appeared early in the periodontal literature. This book provides an insight towards the role of antioxidants as an adjunct to periodontal therapy.