To the best of our knowledge, for the first time the IL-4 -1099T/G and IL-4R Q551R polymorphisms were included for meta-analytically analyzing the association between periodontitis susceptibility and gene polymorphisms, and the present study is the most comprehensive synthesis concerning polymorphisms on IL-4 and IL-4R and susceptibility to periodontitis. The gene discussed is IL4; the disease is periodontitis.