The periodontium (from Greek περί (peri-) 'around' and -odont 'tooth') is the specialized tissues that both surround and support the teeth, maintaining them in the maxillary and mandibular bones.

The periodontal ligament in itself is an area of high turnover that allows the tooth not only to be suspended in the alveolar bone but also to respond to the forces.

[2] The Wnt signaling antagonist Sfrp3/Frzb has been recently discovered as an early developmental marker of the periodontium.

The bony trabeculae are aligned in the path of tensile and compressive stresses to provide maximum resistance to occlusal forces with a minimum of bone substance.

Forces that exceed the adaptive capacity of the periodontium produce injury called trauma from occlusion.