Neutrophil collagenase-2 immunoassay had a high sensitivity for at least two sites with BOP and two sites with periodontal pockets but a lower relationship for single-site pockets and BOP.
Objectives:
1. To investigate the relationship between periodontitis and infertility.
2. To evaluate the importance of oral hygiene to general health.
Materials and methods
Eighty-six men requiring seminal fluid analysis as part of an on-going investigation for infertility in their spouses were serially recruited into the study. Basic dental and periodontal examination were performed. Each participant was also screened for periodontitis using a lateral flow immunoassay kit which detected levels of active membrane metalloproteinase-8. Results were read-off as a color change. Due to some incomplete entries, only 76 participants were involved in the final data analysis.
Results
There were 55 subjects with subnormal counts (of which ten were found to be azoospermic, 41 oligospermic) and 25 normospermic controls. A positive association was found between periodontitis and subnormal sperm count in only one age group but statistically significant association was found between poor oral hygiene and subnormal sperm count across all age groups.
Conclusion
For the first time, there appears to be a significant association between poor oral and subnormal sperm count. There also appears to an association between chronic periodontitis and subnormal sperm count. These relationships warrant further investigation.
Principal findings
There appears to be a link between poor oral hygiene and low sperm count.
How to cite this article
Nwhator SO, Umeizudike KA, Ayanbadejo PO, Opeodu OI, Olamijulo JA, Sorsa T. Another Reason for Impeccable Oral Hygiene: Oral Hygiene-Sperm Count Link. J Contemp Dent Pract 2014;15(3):352-358.
Background:Chronic periodontitis is gaining increasing prominence as a potential influnce on systemic health. Time to conception has been recently investigated in relation to chronic periodontitis among Caucasians. The authors set out to replicate the study among Nigerian pregnant women.Aim:The etiology of many medical conditions have been linked with the state of the oral health and one of such is the time to conception (TTC) among women. This study was aimed to assess the effect of periodontitis on TTC.Subjects and Methods:A cross-sectional study in a hospital setting involving 58 fertility clinic attendees and 70 pregnant controls using the simplified oral hygiene index, community periodontal index (CPI) and matrix metalloproteinase-8 immunoassay. Statistical analysis used included Spearman's rank order correlation statistic, Z-statistic and logistic regression.Results:Good oral hygiene correlated with shorter TTC (<1 year) than fair oral hygiene, but not statistically significant. The odds of increased conception were higher with CPI (odds ratio [OR]: 0.482, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.259-0.895, P = 0.02), periodontitis risk (OR 0.157, 95% CI 0.041-0.600, P < 0.01) and age (OR 0.842, 95% CI 0.756-0.938, P < 0.01).Conclusion:Chronic periodontitis was positively associated with increased TTC in the present study. The authors are recommending that women in child bearing age should be encouraged to have regular preventive dental check-ups in order to maintain good oral and periodontal health.
Knowledge of periodontal disease as a risk factor for systemic illnesses among medical residents in Nigeria is inadequate. These relationships should be emphasized in continuing medical education courses.
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