Xerostomia, reduced salivary flow, and oral burning: Associations from a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Determine the association between xerostomia, salivary flow, and oral burning. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional retrospective study involving consecutive patients with an oral burning complaint during a 6-year period. Treatments including a dry mouth management protocol (DMP) along with other therapies were implemented. Study variables included xerostomia, unstimulated whole salivary flow rate (UWSFR), pain intensity, and medication use. Statistical analyses included Pearson correlations, linear regression, and Analysis of Variance. RESULTS: Among the 124 patients meeting the inclusion criteria, 99 were female, with a mean age of 63.1 (range 26-86) years. The baseline UWSFR was low (0.24 ± 0.29 mL/min) and 46% experienced hyposalivation (<0.1 mL/min). Xerostomia was reported by 77.7%, and 82.8% had coexistence of xerostomia and hyposalivation. DMP resulted in significant pain reduction between visits (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Hyposalivation and xerostomia were highly prevalent in patients with oral burning. A DMP proved beneficial to these patients.

Biomarker panel discriminates diabetics with and without periodontitis pre- and post-therapy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Biological regulators of periodontal inflammation, collagen degradation, and insulin resistance have not been determined in association with severity of periodontitis and response to periodontal treatment in diabetics. Our objective was to determine whether type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients with periodontal disease present a distinct salivary biomarker profile compared with T2DM patients without periodontal disease and healthy subjects (without diabetes and periodontitis) pre- and post-nonsurgical therapy. METHODS: Clinical parameters of periodontal health and whole unstimulated saliva were collected from 92 participants (31 Not Periodontitis, NP; 32 T2DM without periodontitis, DWoP; and 29 with T2DM with periodontitis, DWP) at baseline. The T2DM groups received scaling and root planning (SRP) and provided saliva at 6-week follow-up. Salivary concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8), and resistin were measured by immunoassay. RESULTS: The DWP group had significantly more disease and higher salivary concentrations at baseline for IL-1ß, MMP-8, and resistin (p's < .01) compared with DWoP and NP. SRP resulted in significant improvement in periodontal parameters for the T2DM groups; however, more disease persisted (p < .001), and IL-1ß, MMP-8, and resistin concentrations remained significantly higher in the DWP than the DWoP group (p < .01) at 6 weeks post-treatment. Principal component analysis demonstrated the DWoP group appeared more biologically similar to the NP group than the DWP group. Concentrations of these salivary biomarkers increased with increasing periodontal disease severity (p < .05) in this study population. CONCLUSION: Salivary concentrations of IL-1ß, MMP-8, and resistin appear to serve as biomarkers of periodontal status pre- and post-treatment, irrespective of diabetes status.

Postoperative bleeding associated with antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs: A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine postoperative bleeding in patients taking antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications after invasive periodontal procedures. STUDY DESIGN: This 6-year retrospective study collected data from the electronic health records of patients who underwent invasive periodontal procedures at the College of Dentistry, University of Kentucky Lexington, from January 1, 2011 through April 1, 2017. Records were included when the medical history was current, an invasive periodontal procedure was performed, an antiplatelet or anticoagulant medication was taken, and a postoperative visit was documented. RESULTS: Four hundred and fifty-six patients (age range 22-89 years; mean age 66.1 years; 58% male) met the inclusion criteria and underwent 867 invasive periodontal procedures. Antiplatelet medications, warfarin, a direct oral anticoagulant, or a combination of these drugs were taken during 484 scaling and root planing procedures, 218 implant placements, 53 open flap debridements, 16 gingival grafts, 15 lateral windows, and 71 other. Medications were continued in 99.6% of patients during the procedure. Postoperative bleeding occurred after three procedures (0.35%) and resolved with local hemostatic measures. Medications were temporarily discontinued in four instances (range 1-5 days); none of these patients experienced postoperative bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative bleeding was infrequent in patients who underwent an invasive periodontal procedure while taking an antiplatelet or anticoagulant drug.

Ageing effects on humoral immune responses in chronic periodontitis.

Periodontal disease is a dominant global bacterial infection that increases with ageing. AIM: This report focuses on host adaptive immune responses in periodontitis. While experimental models and humans diagnosed with periodontitis demonstrate an antigenic specificity for particular oral bacteria, we have a limited understanding of (i) how ageing affects the adaptive immune responses to these bacteria that chronically colonize the oral cavity for decades prior to disease expression and (ii) how the magnitude and specificity of the response interface with pathogens that emerge within the bacterial ecology during exacerbations of disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum antibody levels to a group of pathogenic and commensal oral bacteria were measured in a population of individuals from 21 to 74 years of age, stratified based on clinical status of the periodontium, smoking and sex. RESULTS: Clinical parameters were not significantly different within health, gingivitis or periodontitis groups related to age. Antibody to oral pathogens and commensals was similar in different age groups in each of the clinical categories, with no age correlation noted in the periodontitis patients. CONCLUSIONS: The adaptive immune responses to oral bacteria that chronically colonize the oral cavity appear generally unaffected by age, but clearly are linked to the extent of disease.