Is the presence ofHelicobacter pyloriin the Dental Plaque of Patients with Chronic Periodontitis a Risk Factor for Gastric Infection?

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Helicobacter pyloriis considered to be a pathogen responsible for gastritis and peptic ulcers, and a risk factor for gastric cancer. A periodontal pocket in the teeth of individuals with chronic periodontitis may function as a reservoir forH pylori.OBJECTIVE: The present study was undertaken to evaluate whether the presence ofH pyloriin the dental plaque of patients with and without periodontitis correlates with gastric involvement.METHODS: A total of 101 patients with dyspepsia were included in the present study. Subjects were divided into periodontitis and non-periodontitis groups. For the detection ofH pyloriin dental plaque, samples were collected from two teeth using a periodontal curette. Subgingival plaque was obtained by inserting two sterile paper points into periodontal pockets for 20 s. This was followed by an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and antral biopsies.RESULTS: Sixty-five per cent of patients had dental plaque positive forH pyloriand more than 50% harboured the bacteria in their stomach. Periodontitis patients had a significantly higher percentage ofH pyloriin their dental plaque (79% versus 43%; P<0.05) and the stomach (60% versus 33%; P<0.05) than patients with no periodontitis. Additionally, 78% of patients from the periodontitis group versus only 30% from the nonperiodontitis group had a positive test result for the coexistence ofH pyloriin both dental plaque and the stomach.CONCLUSION: Patients with poor oral hygiene have a higher prevalence ofH pyloriin dental plaque and in the stomach. This finding suggests that the oral cavity may be a reservoir forH pylori,and potentially a source of transmission or reinfection.

Detection of Helicobacter pylori in gastric biopsies, saliva and dental plaques of dyspeptic patients from Marília, São Paulo, Brazil: presence of vacA and cagA genes

“…Al Asqah et al (33) also found a significant association between the presence of H. pylori in the stomach and in dental plaque. In a study of 120 dyspeptic patients, H. pylori was detected in all of the samples from gastric biopsies and saliva (34).…”

Association between Helicobacter pylori gastritis and dental diseases: A cross‐sectional, hospital‐based study in Eastern Saudi Arabia

“…Patients were included in the study if they were 18 years old or above, scheduled for upper endoscopy and did not receive antibiotic treatment in the last 3 months. Sample size was estimated based on the following assumptions: alpha error = 5%, beta error = 20%, prevalence of H. pylori in patients with and without periodontitis = 60% and 33% . The minimum required sample was calculated to be 50.…”

A novel one-step Helicobacter pylori saliva antigen test

“…16e18 The accuracy of a test is crucial in diagnosing a condition or assessing a marker for disease. 15 A greater scope is possible in the population-based setting to adjust for known test inaccuracies in the reporting of rates and their comparisons. 9 In large-scale studies of H. pylori, the saliva-based test is a particularly attractive alternative to serum-based tests because, in addition to eliminating the need to employ trained personnel to draw blood, saliva sampling might provide a better response rate than serum sampling in studies using volunteers.…”