Viral infection of periodontal herpes is typically associated with the increased occurrence of periodontopathic bacteria, and herpes virus display a strong synergy effect with periodontal pathogens through various mechanisms. Prevalence of herpes virus in the subgingival dental plaque of periondontitis patients was higher than that of periodontal healthy controls. Pathogenic synergy existed throughout the process of periodontitis by different mechanisms, including adhesion and colonization of periodontal pathogenic bacteria, reactive of herpes virus, and impairment of host antibacterial immune. These mechanisms can better explain the clinical characteristics of periodontitis. When the biological link in periomedicine concept is established through virus-induced molecular pathway of herpes, the conventional periodontal therapy directed at bacteria may be inefficient in periodontitis treatment while the treatment employing antiviral agents may be significantly effective. The concept of herpesviral-bacterial coinfection in periodontitis is an interesting topic for future research. This paper reviews the research progress in the study of interactions between herpes virus and periodontopathic bacteria in periodontal diseases.
