Single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) is a genetic marker and refers to a variation in a single nucleotide that occurs at a specific location in the genome, chronic periodontitis is a chronic infectious disease of the dental supportive tissue influenced by multiple factors, there is close correlation between them, the study mainly focus on the encoding gene polymorphisms of cytokines, cell membrane receptors, chemokines and enzymes and so forth, which play roles during the immune system recognizing bacteria, eliminating bacteria, tissue destruction progress or metabolic mechanisms. This article reviews the association between the susceptibility to chronic periodontitis and the SNPs of five gene families including interleukin, tumor necrosis factor, Fcγ receptor, Vitamin D receptor and matrix metalloproteinase and to seek for diagnostic basis of chronic periodontitis from a single nucleotide polymorphic perspective.
