The innate immunity plays a critical role in the protection of host against pathogens and includes a wide variety of cellular receptors as its key component called Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) which recognize the highly conserved molecules that are exclusively expressed by large classes of microorganisms. Toll-like receptors (TLRs), the most extensively studied PRRs play a vital role in maintaining periodontal health and hence over exaggerated or chronic signaling during inflammation could lead to the destruction of periodontal tissues. Targeting the components of TLR signalling cascades could lead to novel therapies in the treatment of these various inflammatory and infectious diseases as well as cancer. This review provides a novel insight about the history, structure, signaling and role of TLRs in the pathogenesis of various diseases emphasizing their role in periodontal health and disease and their application as therapeutic targets in the treatment of these disease processes
