Banu Arzu Alkan

The effects of chronic periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis on serum and gingival crevicular fluid total antioxidant/oxidant status and oxidative stress index.

BACKGROUND Chronic periodontitis (CP) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) appear to share many pathologic features. Oxygen metabolism has an important role in the pathogenesis of both CP and RA. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between these two chronic inflammatory diseases with regard to antioxidant and oxidant status. METHODS A total of 80 participants were divided into four groups of 20 each: group RA-CP (patients with RA and CP), group RA (periodontally healthy patients with RA), group CP (systemically healthy patients with CP), and group C (periodontally and systemically healthy volunteers) were included in the study. After assessment of periodontal measurements, gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples were taken at one incisor, premolar, and molar tooth and stored with serum samples at -80°C for the antioxidant/oxidant assay. RESULTS Although all clinical measurements in groups RA-CP and CP were statistically higher compared to those of C and RA groups (P <0.001), there were no differences between CP and RA-CP groups (P >0.05). GCF total oxidant status (TOS) values of CP and RA-CP groups were higher than those of the RA group (P <0.05). GCF oxidative stress index (OSI) values of the RA-CP group were higher than those of the RA group (P <0.05). There were no differences among the groups in terms of serum TOS and OSI values (P >0.05). CONCLUSIONS Local OSI values in groups with patients with CP were higher, whereas systemic OSI values showed no difference among the groups. The presence of RA seems not to affect local and systemic OSI values in patients with CP.

Effects of Ozone Therapy on the Early Healing Period of Deepithelialized Gingival Grafts: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND This study evaluates the effects of ozone therapy (OT) on the early healing period of deepithelialized gingival grafts (DGG) placed for non-root coverage gingival augmentation by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF). METHODS Thirty-three patients were assigned to study groups: 1) test: DGG + OT; or 2) control group: DGG alone. Thirty patients completed the study. Ozone was applied on DGGs placed in the recipient bed and donor site immediately after surgery and at days 1 and 3 post-surgery. Blood perfusion in the recipient site was measured by LDF on the day of surgery and at 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, and 13 days after surgery. Quality of life (assessed by the Oral Health Impact Profile-14) and pain at donor/recipient sites (assessed by visual analog scale) were also investigated. RESULTS Increase in blood perfusion units in the test group was significantly higher than control group at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8 days post-surgery (P <0.001). Significant differences occurred between test and control groups in terms of visual analog scale values during the first week post-surgery for both donor and recipient sites (P <0.05). The ozone-treated group showed significantly higher quality of life than control group on postoperative day 6 (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS OT enhanced blood perfusion units in the first postoperative week. This outcome is also consistent with improvement in wound healing, accompanied by an increase in quality of life and decrease in postoperative pain in the test group.

Therapeutic Effects of Systemic Vitamin K2 and Vitamin D3 on Gingival Inflammation and Alveolar Bone in Rats With Experimentally Induced Periodontitis

BACKGROUND The synergistic effects of vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 on bone loss prevention have been reported. This study evaluates the effects of vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 supplementation in conjunction with conventional periodontal therapy (scaling and root planing [SRP]) on gingival interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-10, serum bone alkaline phosphatase (B-ALP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRAP-5b), and calcium and alveolar bone levels in rats with experimentally induced periodontitis. METHODS Seventy-two rats were divided into the following groups: 1) healthy; 2) periodontitis; 3) SRP; 4) SRP + vitamin D3; 5) SRP + vitamin K2; and 6) SRP + vitamins K2 and D3. Periodontitis was induced by ligature placement for 7 days, and vitamin K2 (30 mg/kg) and/or vitamin D3 (2 μg/kg) were administered for 10 days in the SRP + vitamin D3, SRP + vitamin K2, and SRP + vitamins K2 and D3 groups by oral gavage. On day 18, the animals were sacrificed, serum B-ALP, TRAP-5b, and calcium levels were measured, gingiva specimens were extracted for IL-1β and IL-10 analysis, and distances between the cemento-enamel junction and alveolar bone crest were evaluated. RESULTS Alveolar bone levels in the periodontitis group were significantly greater than those in the other five groups. No significant differences were found in gingival IL-1β and IL-10, serum B-ALP and TRAP-5b, and calcium and alveolar bone levels between the groups receiving SRP and vitamins and the group receiving SRP alone. CONCLUSION Within the limitations of this study, vitamin D3 and K2 alone or in combination did not affect gingival IL-1β and IL-10, serum B-ALP and TRAP-5b levels, or alveolar bone compared with conventional periodontal therapy alone.

Knowledge of medical doctors in Turkey about the relationship between periodontal disease and systemic health.

Understanding the relationship between periodontal disease (PD) and systemic health (SH) is necessary for the accurate diagnosis and treatment of both. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of medical doctors in Turkey with regard to the association between PD and SH. This study was carried out using self-reported questionnaires that were sent to medical doctors who work at various universities and public and private hospitals in different cities in Turkey. The questionnaires consisted of questions about the demographic information of the medical doctors, as well as the knowledge of those doctors about the relationship between PD and SH. In total, 1,766 responses were received and 90.8% of the participants agreed that there was a relationship between PD and SH. Diabetes mellitus was the most frequent systemic disease (66.8%) known to be related to PD. Of the participants, 56.5% of the medical doctors referred their patients to periodontists for different reasons. Gingival bleeding was the most frequent reason for patient referrals, with 44% of doctors giving such referrals. Doctors who worked in basic medical sciences were significantly less aware of the relationship between PD and SH than the doctors in other specialties. Although the vast majority of the medical doctors reported that they knew the relationship between PD and SH, the findings of this study showed that this awareness was not supported by precise knowledge, and often failed to translate into appropriate clinical practice.