Periodontal disease and women's health.

Background: Periodontal disease (PD) is a multifactorial inflammatory condition in which inappropriate interaction between the host immune response and specific groups of bacterial pathogens leads to destruction of connective and bone tissues supporting the tooth. Dissemination of pathogens, toxins, and immune complexes from and to periodontal lesions is at the basis of the increasingly recognized association between PD and various systemic diseases (SDs). Considering the growing attention of the medical community to "gender medicine", this review focuses on the association between PD and six systemic conditions heavily impacting women's health, with the aim of providing evidence in support of a joint effort between physicians and dentists to improve clinical management of these conditions.

The impact of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) in osseointegration of oral implants in dental panoramic radiography: texture based evaluation.

Purpose: In this study the temporal texture differentiation associated with the bone formation properties, around loaded oral implants after Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) employment, was investigated in Panoramic Radiographs.

Materials And Methods: Thirty eligible patients are randomly assigned to two groups. The test group received PRP application around new implants, while in the control group no PRP treatment was made.

Vitamin D: relevance in dental practice.

Objective: The potential role of VDR gene variations in modulating periodontal susceptibility have been a subject of scientific investigations. The aim of this paper is to perform a literature review of the potential correlation between Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and periodontal disease.

Materials And Methods: A PubMed literature search was made using "vitamin d receptor polymorphisms periodontal disease" as keys words.

IL-18 gene promoter polymorphisms are only moderately associated with periodontal disease in Italian population.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the polymorphisms at position -607 (C/A) and -137 (G/C) in the promoter of the IL-18 gene and their haplotypes, on the individual susceptibility of developing Aggressive (AgP) and/or Chronic (CP) periodontitis.

Materials And Methods: A total of 213 unrelated Italian subjects with periodontitis (AgP=109 and CP=104) and 100 periodontal-health subjects were studied. IL-18 gene promoter polymorphisms were analyzed by TaqMan® SNP Genotyping Assays.

Bacterial colonization patterns of periodontal pockets in different ages.

The aim of this study was to investigate subgingival bacterial composition of untreated Italian subjects with aggressive and chronic periodontitis. The total bacterial load, pathogenic bacteria belonging to "red" and "orange" complexes and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans were determined by Real-Time PCR in 1216 patients. Data were analysed by looking for relationships between bacteriological parameters, age and periodontal probing depth.