Resolution of gingivitis may improve quality of life and reduce systemic inflammatory factors

A recent study found that resolution of Gingivitis not only reduced gingival inflammation and plaque levels but also reduced systemic inflammatory markers and improved quality of life. The study was published in the journal, Journal of Clinical Periodontology, 2022.

Oral health is the gateway to systemic health. Plaque accumulation on the gingiva leads to inflammatory changes causing Gingivitis. untreated gingivitis may spread the infection to underlying tissues like the bone which may ultimately lead to tooth loss. Chronic gingival inflammation may also be associated with certain systemic conditions. Marina Peric from the University of Pisa, Italy researched to compare the level of inflammatory markers, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), and gingival parameters 1 month after the introduction of an electric toothbrush and intensive oral hygiene maneuvers adaptation (OHI) versus routine habits (no-OHI) in patients affected by generalized gingivitis.

The study included 140 subjects with generalized gingivitis. The patients were randomized to receive either OHI or no OHI. The researchers collected Full-mouth plaque/bleeding scores (FMPS/FMBS), serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6- (IL-6), and an Oral health impact profile-14 questionnaire (OHIP-14) at baseline and 1-month follow-up visit.

Results:

• A significant FMPS and FMPBS reduction, and significant intragroup decrease in hs-CRP and IL-6 were seen in OHI at 1 month.
• A significant improvement of OHRQoL was also seen in OHI at 1 month.
• Lower-magnitude differences were noted only for oral parameters in the no-OHI.
• Resolution of gingivitis varied between OHI and no-OHI.
• Logistic multivariate regression suggested that FMBS ≤8% was associated with an odds ratio of 13 of having both CRP and IL-6 below the selected threshold for healthy young adults.

Thus, the researchers concluded that gingivitis resolution led to a decrease in gingival inflammation, plaque levels, reduced systemic markers, and improved quality of life. 

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Perić, M., Marhl, U., Gennai, S., Marruganti, C. and Graziani, F. (2022), Treatment of gingivitis is associated with reduction of systemic inflammation and improvement of oral health-related quality of life: A randomized clinical trial. J Clin Periodontol. Accepted Author Manuscript. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpe.13690