Bacteremia represents the presence of live germs in the blood stream. Patients with gum
disease show damaged tissues and seem to be more susceptible to bacteremia. In fact, daily
activities such as mastication can induce bacteremia in these patients. Dental procedures
related to bleeding also induce bacteremia. However, there are many questions that should be
clarified. Among them, clinical strategies that are able to reduce the levels of germs in
blood should be determined. This desirable effect could be particularly important for some
patients, for example, for those at higher risk for endocarditis. Therefore, this study
tested if 0.12% chlorhexidine solution used as a single mouth rinse before dental
instrumentation could reduce the levels of bacteria in the blood. In addition, the occurrence
and magnitude of bacteremia in patients with gum disease were investigated by two different
laboratorial techniques. After receiving verbal and written explanations and after signed the
informed consent form, 80 systemically healthy volunteers diagnosed with gum disease having
dental plaque and tartar were randomly allocated in one the following groups: a) mouth-rinse
use and dental instrumentation and b) dental instrumentation with no mouth rinse. In a
preliminary visit volunteers underwent a complete periodontal examination which included
clinical measurements (inflammatory and debris accumulation indicators), microbial (tongue
and dental plaque samples collected with paper points), saliva (to determine volume and
biological indicators) and gingival crevicular fluid sampling (to monitor gingival
inflammation profile). In the next visit, dental instrumentation was performed under local
anesthesia, after the mouth rinse single use in the most diseased periodontal teeth/quadrant.
Blood samples were collected before any dental procedure, 2 and 6 minutes after dental
instrumentation. Oral hygiene instructions and periodontal treatment were performed in
additional visits according to individual needs. Finally, the relation between bacteremia and
several indicators of periodontal status was investigated.
Phase:
Phase 4
Details
Lead Sponsor:
University of Taubate
Collaborators:
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo