Letters

Letters

Intersection of Genetics and Periodontal Disease

I appreciated reading Dr. Roger Warren’s article in the June/ July Journal (“Practicing Dentistry in the Age of Periodontal Risk Management,” by Warren, et al.) I found it to be a thorough compilation of the many systemic factors contributing to periodontal disease.

The next-to-last factor the authors discussed was a statement that “some people have a genetic predisposition to periodontal disease.” Their last reference is to an article by Dr Robert Genco about “Risk Factors for Periodontal Disease,” published in 2000. At an American Academy of Periodontology annual meeting, Dr. Genco alluded to a strong genetic component recently described and documented in a case report published by this writer entitled “Three Generations of Periodontitis.” He said it showed the first evidence of a direct generation component to a form of periodontal disease. It may well be that a person’s genes do have a greater effect on periodontal disease than has previously been studied.

Dr. Warren mentions that DNA methylation or histone modifications are possibilities for the future outcome of many inflammatory diseases. This indicates that research into the possible genetic component is warranted.

Harold I. Sussman, DDS, MSD, FACD West Palm Beach, FL Former Clinical Professor, Department Periodontics NYU College of Dentistry