According to the Research By Trisha E. O’Hehir, RDH, BS, Editorial Director, Hygienetown Magazine

It begins with bacteria that “talk” to each other and work as a team to build a protective habitat called biofilm. Their toxic waste changes the permeability of the junctional epithelium (JE), normally a strong barrier to toxins. Volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) are the substances shown to increase the permeability of the JE, allowing toxins to pass through. Once this happens, an alarm is sounded and detection of toxins alerts our natural defenses – the immune system.

Triggering the immune system starts many different system responses. Histamine is released from mast cells around the blood vessels in the connective tissue around the teeth. This causes vasodilation and slows the blood flow. White blood cells (PMNs), our first line of defense, rush to the area prepared to destroy the bacteria producing the toxins. The PMNs leave the blood vessels and must travel through the healthy connective tissue, through the healthy epithelium, through the epithelial attachment and into the sulcus to attack the bacteria. A little phagocytosis and the problem will be solved.

It sounds simple enough, but the PMNs want to reach the sulcus quickly so they use chemical machetes to cut through the healthy connective tissue, through the healthy epithelium and out through the epithelial attachment to the sulcus where they can attack the bacteria. In their wake, the PMNs leave a trail of destruction and devastation, not unlike a natural disaster. The chemical machetes are cytokines that destroy connective tissue. You’ve heard their names before: collagenase, prostaglandin, interleukin and tumor necrosis factor are just a few. Destroying healthy connective tissue also disrupts the active transport system between cells that allows for the transfer of nutrients in and waste products out of the tissues.

Repair of connective tissue and epithelium requires the production of energy. The Krebs Cycle produces ATPs of energy, using oxygen and glucose, delivered to the cells through the now seriously impaired active transport system. Based on this setback, the body tries to get the oxygen molecules to the ailing cells by building additional small capillary loupes to reach the area.

I’ve explained this sequence of events in what appears to be a straight line, but that’s not exactly how it works. Think of it more like a dozen lanes of traffic, all merging and crossing. According to Drs. Thomas E. Van Dyke and Charles N. Serhan, the inflammatory process is controlled by substances that work like traffic lights. The green lights are the chemical machetes that keep the inflammation going. The red lights are resolvins and protectins, that stop the chemical machetes and thus stop the tissue destruction.

For many years research has focused on the green traffic lights, the bacterial and immune system cytokines that destroy connective tissue and bone. Now, research leaders are studying the red traffic lights to determine how the body stops inflammatory destruction. Understanding the inflammatory process on a cell level will help you understand the exciting and novel technologies and treatment approaches on the horizon.