Summary: This review analyzevarious periodontal disease pathogenesis models. The biological models that explain the pathogenesisof the periodontal disease have presented an evolutionary change from 1960, when it was assumed thatonly bacterial deposits caused the disease to nowdays. It is recently accepted that periodontaldisease is an infection that challenges the immune system and generates an inflammatory responsethat affects the homeostasis of the periodontium. Additional factors like environment, genetics andacquired factors also interact with the microbial milieu and the immune response to influencedisease progression. Key words: Periodontitis. Etiopathogenesis. Immunoinflamatory response. Biofilmgingival interface. Genetic expression.