Low- and high-yield cigarette smoke inhalation potentiates bone loss during ligature-induced periodontitis.

BACKGROUND: It is well recognized that cigarette consumption is a strong risk factor for periodontitis. Tobacco companies have developed a cigarette with low levels of toxic compounds; however, its effect on periodontium has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to verify the impact of smoke produced by low- and high-yield cigarettes on bone loss resulting from ligature-induced periodontitis. METHODS: A total of 36 male Wistar rats were used in the study. A ligature was placed around one of the mandibular first molars (ligated teeth) of each animal, and they were assigned randomly to one of three groups: group 1: control (N = 10), group 2: 30 days' inhalation of smoke produced by high-yield cigarettes (N = 13), and group 3: 30 days' inhalation of smoke produced by low-yield cigarettes (N = 13). The animals were sacrificed 30 days after ligature placement, and the specimens were processed for decalcified sections. RESULTS: Intergroup analysis of unligated teeth (without periodontal disease) did not show a significant difference regarding periodontal ligament area (2.40 +/- 0.5 mm(2), 2.72 +/- 0.7 mm(2), and 2.61 +/- 0.4 mm(2) for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively; P >0.05). Conversely, significant differences were noted in ligated teeth (with periodontitis); bone loss was directly proportional to the level of toxic compounds in the cigarettes (5.74 +/- 0.5 mm(2), 7.40 +/- 0.50 mm(2), and 6.51 +/- 0.50 mm(2) for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively; P <0.05). CONCLUSION: Low- and high-yield cigarettes potentiated bone loss during experimental periodontitis in a directly proportional fashion.

Escovaçäo dental associada ao gel de clorexidina: no tratamento da gengivite marginal / Marginal gingivitis treatment with tooth brushing associated with clorexidina gel

O objetivo deste estudo foi observar o efeito antimicrobiano de um gel experimental de clorhexidina a 1 por cento quando associado à escovaçäo dentária, na reduçäo da placa bacteriana supragengival e da gengivite marginal, quando comparado à um placebo. Foi realizado um estudo paralelo, duplo cego, de 21 dias de duraçäo, em 20 pacientes aleatoriamente divididos em dois grupos experimentais balanceados (teste e controle), os quais foram orientados sobre H.B e que deveriam escovar os dentes com o gel designado, duas vezes ao dia. Foram realizados os índices de placa e de sangramento gengival em períodos estabelecidos de 0, 7, 14 e 21 dias. Os resultados mostraram após 21 dias, uma reduçäo estatisticamente (p<0,05) da placa e da gengivite em ambos os grupos, sendo que os mesmos näo diferiram entre si em nenhum dos períodos avaliados. Concluiu-se que a utilizaçäo do gel de clorexidina a 1 por cento näo estaria indicada para indivíduos capazes de controlar adequadamente placa bacteriana através das instruçöes de higiene bucal e da escovaçäo