Given that PINK1 deficiency has been reported to facilitate the formation of NLR family pyrin domain containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in bone marrow-derived macrophages [38,39] and NLRP3 is closely associated with the differentiation of osteoclasts in the alveolar bone [40], systemic ablation of Pink1 may worsen the inflammatory status of experimental periodontitis in virtue of overactivation of NLRP3 inflammasome. Here, NLRP3 is linked to periodontitis.