Assessment of IL-8 Levels in Saliva of Healthy and Chronic Periodontitis Individuals.

Inflammation of the gums and other tissues supporting the teeth, as well as gradual loss of attachment and bone, are the results of chronic periodontitis, an infectious illness. During inflammation, a group of low molecular weight proteins called cytokines facilitate a complex interaction between inflammatory cells (such neutrophils) and other cellular components in connective tissue. The cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a potent neutrophil chemoattractant. Therefore, it is possible that IL-8 is crucial to the development of periodontitis's pathology. Objectives: 1) To estimate concentration of IL-8 levels in healthy individuals and chronic periodontitis individuals. 2) To compare IL-8 levels in healthy and chronic periodontitis individuals. Materials and Methods: Participants in this research will be recruited from among those who visit the outpatient department (OPD) at the NGH Institute of Dental Sciences and Research Centre, Belagavi, run by the Maratha Mandal. Control Group: Subjects with no clinical attachment loss (CAL) and a probing depth of 3.0 mm are considered to be periodontally healthy. Those in Group 2 (chronic periodontitis) have a chronic form of the disease, as shown by a probing pocket depth (PPD) of less than 5 mm and CAL of less than 2 mm. Unstimulated saliva sample will be collected in a 5 mL wide-mouthed sterile container by spitting method. Samples collected will be centrifuged. The supernatant is collected and stored at -80°C and then assayed for IL-8 concentration by using the standardized IL-8 ELISA kit.

Perception regarding factors related to periodontal therapy among general dental practitioners of Belgaum city - a questionnaire survey.

PURPOSE: To assess the perception regarding periodontists and periodontal therapy among general dental practitioners (GDPs) of Belgaum city. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire study was conducted among 120 GDPs of Belgaum city comprising 13 closed-ended questions. The questions addressed the following variables: demographics of the dentist, service as GDP, periodontal services provided by the GDP and periodontal services referred to the periodontists. RESULTS: One hundred GDPs responded to the survey. 83% had specialists visit their practice and 78% felt the need for having a consultant periodontist attached to their practice. The procedures performed by the general dental practitioners were as follows: scaling (100%), scaling and root planing (78%), splinting (61%), gingivectomy (47%), ap surgery (24%), frenectomy (33%), crown lengthening (23%), root coverage procedures (12%), bone grafts (8%) and implants (8%). The procedures for which GDPs preferred the service of periodontists include bone grafts (87%), ap surgery (80%), root coverage procedures (77%), crown lengthening (63%) and others. 90% agreed that expertise is required for performing surgical periodontal procedures. 86% agreed that periodontists are competent to treat periodontal diseases. 38% to 55% noticed failures in periodontal procedures even after making use of a periodontist's service. 72% did not provide implant care in their clinic. 84% felt the role of periodontists was limited to post placement maintenance. CONCLUSION: A variety of periodontal services were offered by GDPs. The most common services were non-surgical in nature.

New developments in tools for periodontal diagnosis.

OBJECTIVES: For decades there has been increasing focus on the development of clinically acceptable, more sensitive and specific methods for the accurate and non-invasive diagnosis and prognosis of periodontitis. There are several well-known inherent drawbacks to current clinical procedures. The purpose of this article is to summarise some of the newly emerging diagnostic approaches, namely: the ultrasonographic probe; cone-beam computed tomography; optical coherence tomography; optical spectroscopy, and proteome analysis. RESULTS: These novel diagnostic tools complement one another and, together with conventional clinical and radiographic examination, are likely to provide more accurate methods of diagnosing periodontitis. However, these techniques are yet to be clinically validated and their potential interpreted. CONCLUSIONS: For the clinician, the planning of therapy is probably the most critical and difficult step in the treatment of patients with periodontal disease. A new paradigm for periodontal diagnosis will certainly increase understanding of periodontal diseases, which may eventually optimise the predictability of treatment and improve the clinical management of patients with periodontal disease.

Gingival crevicular fluid alkaline phosphatase as a potential diagnostic marker of periodontal disease.

BACKGROUND: Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzyme is involved in the destruction of the human periodontium. The present study was conducted to determine the presence and levels of ALP activity in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in periodontal health, gingivitis, and chronic periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: GCF samples were collected from 45 sites which were divided into three equal groups of healthy samples and gingivitis and chronic periodontitis samples. Various clinical parameters were evaluated and the levels of ALP were estimated using a semi-autoanalyzer. Analysis of variance was employed to compare the ALP levels in different groups. Pearson's correlation coefficient was utilized to find the correlation between ALP levels and various clinical parameters. RESULTS: Difference in the mean ALP levels between healthy and gingivitis groups was found to be nonsignificant (P>0.05) and that between the chronic periodontitis group and healthy as well as gingivitis groups was found to be highly significant (P<0.001). Significant correlations existed between ALP levels and gingival index, probing depths, as well as clinical attachment levels. CONCLUSION: The finding of the present study confirms the relationship between ALP level and periodontal disease, thus indicating that GCF ALP levels can be used as potential biochemical markers for the detection and progression of periodontal disease.

Relationship between dental anxiety and pain perception during scaling.

Dental pain, anxiety and fear are important factors that prevent patients from seeking dental care. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the pain perception of patients during scaling and its relationship with dental anxiety. One hundred dental patients participated in the study. Pain levels after scaling were assessed with a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and an Anxiety Questionnaire consisting of seven questions. The mean VAS score for the entire study group was 17.3 ± 13.8 with no statistically significant differences between gender and different age groups. The mean anxiety score was 11.66 ± 4.17. This was significantly higher in women (P = 0.005), but there were no statistically significant differences between different age groups. There was a statistically significant correlation between VAS and total anxiety score (P < 0.001) as well as each question, except for questions number 3 and 4 in men. Patients were found to experience only limited pain during scaling. They were anxious because they expected pain, women being more anxious than men. Hence, dentists should seek to alleviate or reduce pain and anxiety related to treatment not only to successfully complete the treatment, but also to sustain and carry the patients into successful maintenance and patient recall.