Salivary and gingival crevicular fluid histatin in periodontal health and disease.

OBJECTIVES: Histatin, with its anti bacterial, anti protease, and wound closure stimulating property might influence the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. This study assessed the presence of histatin in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF); the levels of salivary and GCF histatin in periodontal disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: It was a cross sectional study that included systemically healthy forty five subjects (22 males and 23 females) between the age group of 20 to 45 years. Based on Gingival Index (Loe and Silness ,1963) and Russell's Periodontal Index they were grouped as 15 healthy (Group 1), 15 gingivitis (Group 2), and 15 periodontitis (Group 3) subjects. Whole pooled unstimulated saliva was collected by asking the patient to spit in a sterile container and GCF samples were collected using a micropipette from all the subjects. Histatin levels were assessed using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The intergroup comparison was done by ANOVA and Mann Whitney U Test was done for pair wise comparison. RESULTS: The results of this study show that histatin is present in saliva and gingival crevicular fluid. When the salivary histatin levels were compared it was found that the levels of histatin increase from health to periodontitis but the levels of histatin in the gingival crevicular fluid and saliva had no correlation with severity of periodontal disease as there was no statistically significant difference between the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that histatin cannot be used as a potential marker of periodontal disease. Key words:Periodontal disease, histatin, gingival crevicular fluid, saliva, gingival index, periodontal index, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

Correlation between probing pocket depth and neutrophil counts in dental plaque, saliva, and gingival crevicular fluid.

OBJECTIVE: Neutrophils play a critical role in the innate immune response. There are no studies that have correlated the neutrophils in plaque, saliva, and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) to probing pocket depth (PPD) and to each other in periodontally healthy and diseased subjects. The aim of the present investigation was to assess and correlate the neutrophil levels in dental plaque, saliva, and GCF in periodontally healthy and diseased subjects. METHOD AND MATERIALS: Forty-five subjects were recruited. They were divided into three groups based on the Gingival Index (GI) and the Russell Periodontal Index (PI) as clinically healthy (group 1), gingivitis (group 2), and chronic generalized periodontitis (group 3). Saliva and GCF samples were collected using a Durapore filter, and plaque samples were collected using an area-specific subgingival curette. Neutrophils were counted using an improved Neubauer chamber. RESULTS: Neutrophils were present in the plaque, saliva, and GCF of all three samples. There was a statistically significant difference between the neutrophil numbers in all the samples with respect to the severity of periodontal disease. The strength of association was the strongest between PPD and plaque neutrophils. CONCLUSION: The neutrophils in dental plaque samples correlated positively with PPD in periodontally healthy and diseased subjects.

The antiplaque efficacy of pomegranate mouthrinse.

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the effect of a pomegranate-containing mouthrinse on plaque, determine whether it has any adverse effects, and evaluate its antibacterial properties against selected periodontopathogens in vitro. METHOD AND MATERIALS: thirty periodontally healthy volunteers, randomly divided into three groups, refrained from all mechanical oral hygiene measures for 4 days and used one of the randomly assigned mouthrinses (A, pomegranate; B, chlorhexidine; or C, distilled water [placebo]) twice daily. The Plaque Index (PI) was assessed at days 0 and 5. Adverse effects were also evaluated. Pomegranate extract was tested against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A.a.), Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.g.), and Prevotella intermedia (P.i.). RESULTS: in all groups, the PI significantly increased from the baseline to day 5 (P < .1). The pomegranate mouthrinse created no adverse effects. There was a statistically significant difference (P < .05) between the chlorhexidine and placebo rinse and the pomegranate and placebo rinse, but no statistically significant difference was found between the chlorhexidine and pomegranate rinse with respect to the PI. Pomegranate extract showed inhibition of all three strains of periodontopathogens at various concentrations. CONCLUSION: these results indicate that the pomegranate mouthrinse has an antiplaque effect. Pomegranate extract is efficacious against A.a., P.g., and P.i. strains in vitro. Pomegranate mouthrinse should be explored as a long-term antiplaque rinse with prophylactic benefits.

Hyaluronan-containing mouthwash as an adjunctive plaque-control agent.

PURPOSE: Hyaluronan, commonly known as hyaluronic acid, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory action, bacteriostatic effect and antioxidant properties, thus making its use as a long-term anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis agent an appealing proposition. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of 0.025% hyaluronan-containing mouthwash in comparison with 0.2% chlorhexidine and a water-based mouthwash and also to evaluate its antibacterial efficacy on isolated strains of periodontopathogens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five volunteers in a hospital setting were recruited. A single-blinded, parallel design, randomised controlled trial was carried out and the 4-day plaque re-growth model was used to study the efficacy of the three mouthwashes. Microbiological and clinical evaluation was performed by culturing and using dental indices, respectively. The three mouthwashes used in the present study were commercially available 0.025% sodium hyaluronate, 0.2% chlorhexidine and a water-based rinse (negative control). Effects of the three mouthwashes were tested on the growth of isolated strains of Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) and Prevotella intermedia (Pi). RESULTS: In vitro, hyaluronan had a distinct effect on the growth of Aa and Pi with no effect on the growth of Pg. In vivo, the differences between the individual rinse solutions and the water-based solution showed significantly less plaque regrowth with respect to both chlorhexidine (P = 0.033) and hyaluronan (P = 0.045) when compared to the negative control. The difference between chlorhexidine and hyaluronan was not statistically significant (P = 0.69). CONCLUSIONS: Hyaluronan (0.025%)-containing mouthwash was comparable to chlorhexidine (0.2%) in inhibiting plaque growth in vivo, and it significantly reduced the growth of Aa and Pi in vitro

Anterior middle superior alveolar injection is effective in providing anesthesia extending to the last standing molar in maxillary periodontal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Multiple injections are required to anesthetize the maxilla for periodontal surgery that involves a quadrant or multiple teeth across the midline. The anterior middle superior alveolar (AMSA) field block was reported to effectively anesthetize the central incisors to the mesial aspect of the first molar of the maxilla with one or two injections. To our knowledge, the extent of anesthesia has not been reported beyond first molars in the literature. METHODS: Fifty subjects who were indicated for periodontal surgery were provided maxillary anesthesia with an AMSA injection through a conventional syringe with a 27-gauge needle. All subjects were given an AMSA injection, and after surgery, they were assigned to group 1 (requiring only the AMSA injection), group 2 (requiring one supplemental buccal infiltration), or group 3 (requiring two supplemental buccal infiltrations). Subjective and objective signs and symptoms were used to confirm the extent and profoundness of the anesthesia at 90, 120, and 180 minutes. RESULTS: Statistical significance for groups 1 and 2 was observed for anesthesia at different time intervals during the course of periodontal surgery. Pairwise comparisons of groups showed no statistical significance. The profoundness of the anesthesia extended to the last standing molar. CONCLUSIONS: The AMSA injection provided excellent, wide-spread anesthesia in all groups for the required time of surgery, and there was no significant implication among groups. The AMSA injection can be used as an effective technique to anesthetize teeth distal to the first molar up to the last standing molar in maxillary periodontal surgery.