The Efficiency of Photodynamic Therapy in the Bacterial Decontamination of Periodontal Pockets and Its Impact on the Patient.

Research in the field of periodontal disease continues to focus on disease-associated microorganisms, as the microbial plaque and the host immune responses are considered to be important causative factors, that are highly responsible for the progression of this disease. The purpose of this article is to compare the reduction in the number of specific periodontopathogens in two test groups according to different therapeutic approaches in periodontal disease and to show possible differences. This article is based on a prospective clinical study involving eighteen subjects with forty-four average periodontal pockets assigned to study groups treated by two different methods, SRP and SRP followed by a single PDT application. Efficiency in removing specific bacterial species was evaluated by PCR testing, at baseline and immediately after treatment. The hypothesis that using SRP + aPDT results in an increased decontamination potential was confirmed statistically, when all five specific bacterial pathogens were investigated together. When the pathogens were considered separately, two of the five microorganisms tested were significantly lower in the SRP + PDT group (p < 0.00), and important germ counts reductions were also observed for the other three. There is also a statistically significant relation between the pain at 48 h postoperatively and the type of treatment the patients received, as resulted from the Questionnaire Form. Our results demonstrate that aPDT, as an adjunctive treatment to conservative mechanical cleaning of root surfaces at sites affected by periodontitis, represents an effective tool in terms of reducing specific periodontopathogen germs.

The Effect of Changing the Toothbrush on the Marginal Gingiva Microcirculation in the Adolescent Population-A Laser Doppler Flowmetry Assessment.

It is well-known that proper tooth brushing has the effect of stimulating microcirculation in a healthy gingiva. The aim of this study was to evaluate the microcirculation dynamics at the level of healthy marginal gingiva in adolescents after changing their toothbrush. Three evaluation instruments were employed to assess and quantify the effects on the marginal gingiva: the periodontal probing depth (PD), gingival index (GI) and laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF). A total of 12 adolescents, aged between 15 and 20, were enrolled in the study, resulting in a total of 72 frontal upper teeth for PD and GI and 48 gingival interdental sites for LDF assessment. For each measurement, the pulp blood flow signal was recorded for 1 min and represented as a pulsatory signal. Data were collected in four moments: before the toothbrush changed and 24 h, 7 days and 14 days after. For the statistical analysis, the nonparametric Friedman test was applied for comparisons between more than two pair numeric series and for comparisons between two sets of pair values without Gaussian distribution, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was applied. The paired t test was used for two sets of normally distributed paired values. The results showed that using a new toothbrush in the adolescent population with healthy gingiva can induce statistically significant increases in gingival blood flow, which remain at a high level even at two weeks. The GI also increases significantly at 7 days and 14 days, while the periodontal PD does not change significantly.

A New Approach for the Diagnosis of Systemic and Oral Diseases Based on Salivary Biomolecules.

Early diagnosis represents the target of contemporary medicine and has an important role in the prognosis and further treatment. Saliva is a biofluid that generated a high interest among researchers due to its multiple advantages over other body fluids. The multitude of components that can act as biomarkers influenced the existing technologies to develop protocols that could allow saliva to become the new noninvasive diagnostic method. Saliva as a diagnostic tool can bring substantial addition to the diagnostic armamentarium, providing important information about oral and general health. The diagnostic applications of saliva extended and had a rapid evolution due to the advancement in salivaomics. The present review summarizes the latest researches in saliva-related studies and explores the information and correlations that saliva can offer regarding the systemic and oral diseases, highlighting its great potential of diagnosis. It is expected that in the future specific guidelines and results regarding the salivary diagnostics are to be available, together with high-sensitivity and specificity tests for multiple systemic and oral diseases.