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)

The main idea here is how certain spirochetes contribute to periodontal tissue destruction. Treponema denticola is a highly associated and aggressive spirochete found in subgingival plaque of diseased pockets. It has potent proteolytic enzymes, such as dentilisin, that break down host proteins and extracellular matrix components like collagen, helping to degrade connective tissue and widen periodontal pockets. This combination of being a frequent deep-pocket colonizer and possessing tissue-destructive enzymes makes it strongly linked to periodontal destruction. The other spirochetes listed are linked to systemic infections—syphilis, Lyme disease, and leptospirosis—not to periodontal tissue destruction. Thus, Treponema denticola is the spirochete most commonly implicated in periodontal tissue destruction.