As a result of stimulation by bacteria, white blood cess produce free radicals as part of the response to infection. When you have gum disease, there is an increase in free radical release that causes oxidant damage to the gingival tissues, ligament and bone around the teeth.

Your body’s antioxidant defence system can limit the damage caused by free radicals, but sometimes it is not able to do effectively and there is an imbalance between free radical production and anti-oxidant level which leads to a destructive condition called oxidative stress.

A study by Pendyala et al in 2008 estimated TOTAL ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY in patients with PERIODONTITIS and healthy control subjects

How oxygen does damage :

Oxygen is necessary for life, but it can also be toxic because it is a highly reactive molecule.  A free radical is a highly reactive molecule that can cause damage.  Anti-oxidants are substances that delay or inhibit oxidation .

The body has a sophisticated antioxidant defence system to cope with free radicals and maintain balance.

When you have gum disease, bacteria cause your immune response to produce an excess free radicals and this can result in oxidative stress.

Pendyala found that the antioxidants capacity in the serum of patient with chronic periodontal disease was significantly decreased compared to healthy patients (28.5 micrograms/decileter versus 50.6 micrograms / decilitre).

Since the majority of the destruction in periodontal disease occurs as the result of abnormal inflammation and excessive reactive oxygen species production, new treatments for periodontal disease could focus on controlling excessive inflammation and boosting anti-oxidant capacity to reduce the destruction caused by oxidative stress .

FOR MORE INFO REFER TO:

J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2008 Sep-Dec; 12(3): 79–83.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2813562/