Abstract
The development of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method has given significant progress in the research of the involvement of herpesviruses and periodontitis. The etiology of severe periodontitis includes active herpesviruses, specific bacterial pathogens, and destructive immune responses, but herpesviruses seem to be the major pathogenic determinant. Periodontal herpesviruses that enter the general circulation may contribute to disease development in various organ systems. Periodontal therapy that targets both herpesviruses and bacterial pathogens can provide long‐term clinical improvement and potentially reduce the risk of systemic diseases. This short communication highlights basic characteristics of herpesviruses and the relationship between herpesvirus-bacteria co-infection and periodontitis. Knowledge on periodontal herpesviruses may constitute an inflection point in the science and practice of periodontology.
