Potential Chair-side Test for Gingival Inflammation Screening of Patients With and Without Comorbidities

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate a diagnostic kit prototype for salivary total protein (TP), as a complementary clinical examination, for the diagnosis and monitoring of gingival inflammation during periodontal treatment. Materials and Methods: Patients (n=57) were divided into six groups: systemically and Periodontally Healthy (H), Systemically Healthy with Periodontal Disease (PD), Periodontal Health and Diabetes (D), Periodontal Disease and Diabetes (PDD), Periodontal Health and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Periodontal Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis (PDRA). Collection of non-stimulated saliva, oral hygiene instructions and basic periodontal treatment were performed. Clinical parameters, gingival index (GI), visible plaque index (PI), probing pocket depth (PPD), bleeding on probing (BOP) and clinical attachment level (CAL), were evaluated at days 0 and 45. Results: Most groups showed clinical improvements with significant changes in H, PD and PDRA for PI, PD and PDRA for PPD and PD for BOP (p<0.05). Total protein reduction was significant only in the PD group (p<0.05). Correlations analysis between salivary TP with BOP or with GI, showed that the salivary test can detect the GI variation (p<0.05). Conclusion: The salivary test has the potential to customize the therapeutic approach, as a complementary clinical examination, serving as a visual indicator for the patient to perceive the clinical signs of their evolution throughout the treatment, and to validate the improvement of the clinical parameters in a practical and accessible quantitative way. Clinical Relevance: The use of saliva for disease monitoring has been consolidated as a versatile diagnostic tool, the results demonstrated its usage to monitor gingival inflammation, a potential visual test to present to patients, and a much less invasive method than the conventional Gingival Index.