Which spirochete is commonly implicated in periodontal tissue destruction?

Which spirochete is commonly implicated in periodontal tissue destruction?

• A. Treponema pallidum
• B. Borrelia burgdorferi
• C. Treponema denticola
• D. Leptospira interrogans

Answer: (C)

Periodontal destruction is driven by specific anaerobic bacteria in the subgingival biofilm, including a motile spirochete closely linked to tissue breakdown. This organism is Treponema denticola, a member of the red complex known for virulence factors such as dentilisin, a protease that degrades host proteins and extracellular matrix, enabling invasion of gingival tissues and promoting inflammation. Its ability to thrive in the anaerobic, inflamed pocket and to interact with other pathogens amplifies periodontal destruction. The other spirochetes listed are associated with systemic infections—Treponema pallidum with syphilis, Borrelia burgdorferi with Lyme disease, and Leptospira interrogans with leptospirosis—and are not characteristically implicated in periodontal tissue destruction.

Periodontal destruction is driven by specific anaerobic bacteria in the subgingival biofilm, including a motile spirochete closely linked to tissue breakdown. This organism is Treponema denticola, a member of the red complex known for virulence factors such as dentilisin, a protease that degrades host proteins and extracellular matrix, enabling invasion of gingival tissues and promoting inflammation. Its ability to thrive in the anaerobic, inflamed pocket and to interact with other pathogens amplifies periodontal destruction. The other spirochetes listed are associated with systemic infections—Treponema pallidum with syphilis, Borrelia burgdorferi with Lyme disease, and Leptospira interrogans with leptospirosis—and are not characteristically implicated in periodontal tissue destruction.