Genetic factors play an important etiologic role in destructive periodontal diseases. There have been reports that sex chromosomes, especially disorders associated with the X chromosome, affect periodontal health. Although numerous X-linked diseases have been reported to be associated with various periodontal diseases, the association of gingivitis and/or periodontitis with these genetic syndromes should be considered tenuous and raises the question of whether the periodontal manifestation truly arises from an underlying X-linked genetic etiology. A brief overview of genetics in relation to sex chromosomes and putative X-linked genetic periodontal diseases is given.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.