LAUSR

OBJECTIVES To clarify the role of zinc on periodontal health, and the potential periodontitis treatment targets based on zinc homeostasis regulation. SUBJECT Zinc is a very important and ubiquitous element, which is present in oral environment, daily diet, oral health products, dental restorative materials, etc. However, there is a lack of attention to the role of both extracellular or intracellular zinc in the progression of periodontitis and periodontal regeneration. This review summarizes the characteristics of immunological microenvironment and host cells function in several key stages of periodontitis progression, and explores the regulatory effect of zinc during this process. RESULTS Multiple evidence indicate that zinc may be involved and play a key role in the stages of immune defense, inflammatory response and bone remodeling. Zinc supplementation in an appropriate dose range or regulation of zinc transport proteins can promote periodontal regeneration by either enhancing immune defense or up-regulating local cells proliferation and differentiation functions. CONCLUSION Zinc homeostasis is essential in periodontal remodeling and regeneration. More attention is suggested to be focused on zinc homeostasis regulation and consider it as a potential strategy in the studies on periodontitis treatment, periodontal guided tissue regeneration, implant material transformation and so on.