The Interplay between Chronic Gingivitis, Serum Cytokines and Bacteremia

The effect of oral hygiene and dental flossing on the reduction of bacteremia and inflammation markers in chronic gingivitis population.

Kinane, D.F., He, T., Biesbrock, AR. University of Louisville Dental School

Objectives: Transient bacteremias have been directly related to dental disease and its treatment (Kinane et al 2005). This study was designed to evaluate the effect of oral hygiene and dental flossing on the prevention of transient systemic bacteraemia in chronic gingivitis population.

Methods: Host inflammatory cytokines and bacteremias were monitored at the beginning and end of this study, as well as clinical parameters. This was a 3-wk, examiner-blind controlled clinical trial in which 81 subjects with chronic gingivitis were recruited at the baseline visit, sampled, cleaned and then asked to perform optimal oral hygiene for 3 wks after which they were re-sampled.

Results: At the sampling visits, after clinical examination, ultrasonic scaling was performed followed by a whole blood sampling 10 minutes after starting the full mouth ultrasonic scaling procedure. Bacteraemia levels (detected by PCR) and serum IL-8 and sICAM (detected by ELISA) were inversely correlated, as was clinical gingival inflammation (bleeding on probing) (p<0.01).

Conclusion: This contradicts suggestions in the literature that bacteraemia directly relates to the severity of gingival inflammation. In conclusion: clinical gingival inflammation and serum IL-8 and sICAM levels appear to protect against oral pathogen bacteremias.