Despite the fact that saliva contains measurable concentrations of urea and creatinine, it is not widely used in clinical nephrology. One of the reasons is the high inter‐ and intra‐individual variability in the salivary markers of kidney function. We hypothesized that gingival bleeding in patients with periodontitis could contribute to this variability by increasing the concentration of salivary urea or creatinine. Samples were collected from 25 patients with periodontitis and 29 healthy controls. In addition, saliva samples from five healthy volunteers were artificially contaminated with blood. The concentration of urea, but not that of creatinine, was more than twice as high in patients with periodontitis than in controls. Artificial contamination of saliva with blood did not affect the salivary concentration of creatinine. Salivary urea increased only with very high levels of contamination (≥2.5% blood in saliva), but that did not occur in patients. In conclusion, periodontitis increases the concentration of salivary urea, but this is not likely to be a result of contamination with blood. Future studies should investigate the composition of the oral microbiome, specifically regarding how it affects the concentration of salivary urea. Salivary creatinine seems to be a more robust non‐invasive marker of renal functions than salivary urea.
Summary:Objectives. The primary objective of the study was to test toothbrushes with different types of filaments (conical vs. rounded) with respect to cause gingival abrasion after surgical intervention of wisdom teeth. A secondary objective was to evaluate the efficacy of plaque removal and the improvement of gingival conditions to alleviate wound healing and to avoid gingivitis. Methods. One hundred and seventy-three healthy subjects with surgical intervention of wisdom teeth participated in a randomized, single blind study and were randomly allocated to control group (standard ADA reference toothbrush) or test group (meridol ® special toothbrush with conical filaments). Clinical examinations included gingival abrasion, plaque index and gingival index, and were conducted at baseline, 7 and 28 days. Results. For the gingival abrasion the mean number of lesions of all sizes was after 28 days significantly lower in the test group (p-value <0.001) compared to control group. Plaque index was not significantly different between the two groups in the last visit. At day 28 the gingival index was significantly lower in the test group (p=0.031) compared to control group. Conclusions. The toothbrush with conical filaments induced significantly less gingival abrasions than the standard ADA toothbrush and showed superior results in improving gingival health (gingival index). Both toothbrushes were comparable effective with respect to plaque removal. Clinical Relevance. Scientific rationale for study: Supra and sub-gingival biofilm leads to gingival inflammation. Post-surgical removal of the biofilm from gingival surfaces promotes healing after wisdom tooth extraction. Tooth brushing leads to gingival abrasion. Earlier investigations with toothbrushes having conical filaments suggest less gingival tissue damage. Principal findings: The results showed that the toothbrush with conical filaments caused significantly less gingival abrasions than the toothbrush with rounded filaments. Practical implications: Toothbrush filament design should be considered when choosing toothbrush for oral hygiene after oral surgery.
Periodontal disease is inflammation of the gums and without good oral hygiene, it can progress to periodontitis. Oral hygiene might be related to a patient’s health literacy (HL), defined as ability to gain access, understand, and use information to promote and maintain good health. The aim of our study is to examine the associations of HL with indicators of periodontal disease. A cross-sectional study on 1117 adults (36.2% males; mean age = 36.4, SD = 14.2) attending dental hygiene treatment was conducted. Data on demographics, socioeconomic status, and nine domains of HL (Health Literacy Questionnaire, HLQ) were collected by questionnaire, and Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN) was established by the dental hygienist. Data were analysed using t-tests and logistic regression. Respondents with periodontal disease (N = 152) had statistically significantly lower levels of HL in seven out of nine HLQ domains compared to intact patients (N = 818) (t from 3.03 to 4.75, p < 0.01). Association of higher HL in seven domains with lower chance of diagnosed periodontal disease remain significant even after adjustment for age, gender and educational attainment (adjusted ORs 0.55–0.67, p < 0.05). Our findings confirm that an individual’s lower HL is significantly associated with higher chance of periodontal disease incidence, specifically among Slovak adults attending oral hygiene clinics. HL might be a promising factor in the improvement of oral health in this population, worthy of consideration in intervention and preventive activities.
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