Published online Dec 25, 2024. doi: 10.5501/wjv.v13.i4.99070
Revised: September 2, 2024
Accepted: September 19, 2024
Published online: December 25, 2024
Processing time: 97 Days and 19.7 Hours
Periodontitis is the inflammation of the supporting structures around the dentition. Several microbial agents, mostly bacteria, have been identified as causative factors for periodontal disease. On the other hand, oral cavity is a rich reservoir for viruses since it contains a wide variety of cell types that can be targeted by viruses. Traditionally, the focus of research about the oral flora has been on bacteria because the most widespread oral diseases, like periodontitis and dental caries, are outcomes of bacterial infection. However, recently and especially after the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019, there is a growing tendency toward including viruses also into the scope of oral microbiome investigations. The global high prevalence of periodontitis and viral infections may point out to a concomitant or synergistic effect between the two. Although the exact nature of the mechanism still is not clearly understood, this could be speculated through the manipulation of the immune system by viruses; hence facilitating the furthermore colonization of the oral tissues by bacteria. This review provides an extensive and detailed update on the role of the most common viruses including herpes family (herpes simplex, varicella-zoster, Epstein-Barr, cytomegalovirus), Human papillomaviruses, Human immunodeficiency virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in the initiation, progression and prognosis of periodontitis.
Core Tip: Periodontitis affects millions of people worldwide. It has been connected to several systemic inflammations and infections. Periodontitis is a complex and multifactorial disease. The main microorganisms involved in periodontitis are bacteria. However, viruses may have a contribution in the etio-pathogenesis of periodontitis also. In this article we extensively reviewed the role of some of the most common viruses in the initiation and progression of periodontitis.