Shifting the paradigm from inhibitors of inflammation to resolvers of inflammation in periodontitis.

An initial shift in our understanding of the basis of periodontal disease occurred early in the 2000s. The host response, rather than the bacterial burden, was the principal determinant of the disease. Microbial dysbiosis that occurs in periodontal disease results from a hyperinflammatory state in the host. A second shift in periodontal disease is taking place. This time in the realm of treatment strategies. Rather than targeting antimicrobials or inhibitors of individual inflammatory mediators, preclinical studies support using resolution pharmacology to convert the pro-inflammatory condition into a non-inflammatory one, thereby resolving both the local and systemic inflammation associated with periodontal disease. Here, I describe the bases for these shifts in paradigms.