KJ Nisha1, Presanthila Janam2, K Harshakumar3
1Department of Periodontics, Vydehi Institute of Dental Sciences and Research Centre, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
2Department of Periodontics, PMS College of Dental Sciences and Research, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
3Department of Prosthodontics, Government Dental College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
DOI: 10.4103/jnsbm.JNSBM_6_19
ABSTRACT
Periodontal disease is one of the most prevalent diseases in the human population worldwide. It is the major cause of tooth loss in adults above 40 years. Advanced forms are characterized by inflammation that extends deep into the tissues of the periodontium, a process that eventually causes the loss of the supporting connective tissue and the alveolar bone leading to tooth loss. Application of salivary biomarkers for periodontal diagnostics is promising and could facilitate the diagnosis and treatment in a clinical practice by dental practitioners. The salivary transcriptome offers the combined advantages of high-throughput marker discovery in a noninvasive biofluid with very high patient compliance. Identifying alterations in salivary transcriptomic signatures using microarray or sequencing technologies will help to find novel biomarkers in periodontitis. This narrative review intends to provide a highlight on the potential application of salivary transcriptomics in periodontal diagnosis.
