This single center study shows deficits in oral health and oral health behavior in patients after LTx. There is a strong need for interdisciplinary collaboration and clinical guidelines to foster better oral health education of the transplant recipient and better oral health.

The high treatment need of patients after SOT, irrespective of the time since transplantation, suggests insufficient dental and periodontal treatment before and maintenance after organ transplantation. Furthermore, immunosuppressive medication was not associated with the treatment need.

The oral health perception of LuTx patients does not reflect the apparent oral health deficiencies. Consequently, sensitization and motivation for an increased dental behavior is needed.

BackgroundAim of this study was to investigate the association of the time under immunosuppression and different immunosuppressive medication on periodontal parameters and selected periodontal pathogenic bacteria of immunosuppressed patients after solid organ transplantation (SOT).Material and Methods169 Patients after SOT (lung, liver or kidney) were included and divided into subgroups according their time under (0-1, 1-3, 3-6, 6-10 and >10 years) and form of immunosuppression (Tacrolimus, Cyclosporine, Mycophenolate, Glucocorticoids, Sirolimus and monotherapy vs. combination). Periodontal probing depth (PPD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL) were assessed. Periodontal disease severity was classified as healthy/mild, moderate or severe periodontitis. Subgingival biofilm samples were investigated for eleven selected potentially periodontal pathogenic bacteria using polymerasechainreaction.ResultsThe mean PPD and CAL as well as prevalence of Treponema denticola and Capnocytophaga species was shown to be different but heterogeneous depending on time under immunosuppression (p<0.05). Furthermore, only the medication with Cyclosporine was found to show worse periodontal condition compared to patients without Cyclosporine (p<0.05). Prevalence of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia and Fusobacterium nucleatum was reduced and prevalence of Parvimonas micra and Capnocytophaga species was increased in patients under immunosuppression with Glucocorticoids, Mycophenolate as well as combination therapy.ConclusionsTime under and form of immunosuppression might have an impact on the clinical periodontal and microbiological parameters of patients after SOT. Patients under Cyclosporine medication should receive increased attention. Differences in subgingival biofilm, but not in clinical parameters were found for Glucocorticoids, Mycophenolate and combination therapy, making the clinical relevance of this finding unclear. Key words:Immunosuppression, organ transplantation, periodontitis, periodontal bacteria.

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