The metabolism of arachidonic acid plays a significant role in the pathological process of inflammatory bone destruction disease. The main pathomechanism is osteoclast formation and activation. In recent years, evidence suggests that the level of LTB4 metabolized by LOX enzymatic pathway is elevated in gingival crevicular fluid of patients with periodontitis compared with periodontal health. Giving inhibitor of 5-LOX to the inflammation model showed that the number of osteoclast and the degree of bone destruction are all below when compared with normal control. Therefore, discuss arachidonic acid metabolized by 5-LOX enzymatic pathway how to influence as well as mechanism on periodontitis will be conducive to expound pathogenesis of periodontitis. It proposes a new idea for the prevention and treatment of periodontitis. In this article the relationship between 5-LOX pathway of arachidonic acid and periodontitis will be reviewed.