Takashi Hanioka

Effect of topical application of Coenzyme Q10 on adult periodontitis

Topical application of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) to the periodontal pocket was evaluated with and without subgingival mechanical debridement. Ten male patients with adult periodontitis participated and 30 periodontal pockets were selected. During the first 3 weeks, the patients did not receive any periodontal therapy except the topical application of CoQ10. After the first 3-week period, root planning and subgingival scaling were performed in all sites. CoQ10 was applied in 20 of the pockets once a week for a period of 6 weeks. Soybean oil was applied to the remaining 10 sites as a control. In the first 3-week period, significant reductions in gingival crevicular fluid flow, probing depth and attachment loss were found only at experimental sites. After mechanical subgingival debridement, significant decreases in the plaque index, gingival crevicular fluid flow, probing depth and attachment loss were found both at experimental and control sites. However, significant improvements in the modified gingival index, bleeding on probing and peptidase activity derived from periodontopathic bacteria were observed only at experimental sites. These results suggest that topical application of CoQ10 improves adult periodontitis not only as a sole treatment but also in combination with traditional nonsurgical periodontal therapy.

Haemoglobin concentration and oxygen saturation in dog gingiva with experimentally induced periodontitis

The index of haemoglobin concentration (Hb index) and apparent oxygen saturation (apparent SO2) were determined by a new, non-invasive method, tissue reflectance spectrophotometry. The Hb index was positively correlated with the haemoglobin concentration. The relationship between the apparent SO2 and oxygen partial pressure was a sigmoid curve resembling the haemoglobin oxygen dissociation curve. The Hb index and the apparent SO2 were monitored continuously by tissue reflectance spectrophotometry during the induction of experimental periodontitis with silk ligatures. The Hb index increased rapidly during the first 7 days after ligation and then decreased gradually during the remaining period. The apparent SO2 decreased during the first 7 days but gradually rose during the final 9 weeks. The maximum level of the deoxyhaemoglobin concentration after ligation was elevated about two times over that found before ligation, whereas the increase in oxyhaemoglobin concentration was relatively small. These results suggest that the oxygen supply to inflamed gingiva may increase to some extent, but not sufficiently to compensate for the increased oxygen consumption.

Association of Tooth Loss with Psychosocial Factors in Male Japanese Employees

Association of Tooth Loss with Psychosocial Factors in Male Japanese Employees: Naoji Hayashi, et al. Department of Preventive Dentistry, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University—It would seem that good psychosocial conditions would have a positive effect on oral health, but few data exist regarding the association of psychosocial factors with tooth loss. The association between psychosocial factors and tooth loss was studied in male industrial workers in Japan. In an annual health checkup, tooth loss status was assessed by oral examination in 252 workers (age 2059 yr). Information pertaining to psychosocial factors, lifestyle and oral health behavior was also obtained through a self‐administered questionnaire. The mean tooth loss per worker showed a significant increasing trend with age. Mean tooth loss was 0.32 in the 20‐29‐yr‐old group, 0.82 in the 30‐39‐yr‐old group, 1.28 in the 40‐49‐yr‐old group and 2.91 in the 50‐59‐yr‐old group. Bivariate analyses revealed that age (P<0.01) and alexithymia (P<0.05) were significantly associated with tooth loss. In contrast, work stress, depression, type A behavior, job‐ and life‐satisfaction were not significantly associated with tooth loss. In multivariate analyses, the associations of age (P<0.02) and alexithymia (P<0.05) remained statistically significant after adjustment for oral health behavior and lifestyle variables. We suggest that an alexithymic personality may affect tooth loss status in male employees.

Clinical application of tissue reflectance spectrophotometry to periodontal disease.

Rapid, accurate, and non-invasive measurements of hemodynamics and oxygen utilization in gingiva are clinically important in evaluation of the severity of the inflammatory response in periodontal disease. In the present study, tissue reflectance spectrophotometry was used to examine gingiva in vivo to estimate hemoglobin concentration (Hb index) and the oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin in gingiva (HbSO2 index). Reflectance spectrophotometry was also used to examine these parameters in experimental periodontitis in dogs, and in patients with periodontal disease. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that the Hb index was positively correlated with hemoglobin concentration in gingival tissue. The relationship between the HbSO2 index and PO2 in gingiva was a sigmoid curve resembling the hemoglobin-oxygen dissociation curve. In rapidly advancing periodontitis resulting from ligature placement in dogs, the Hb index was significantly enhanced, but the HbSO2 index was reduced. This reduction corresponded to increases in gingival inflammation during the experiments. Furthermore, in humans, the Hb index was significantly higher in inflamed gingiva than in clinically healthy gingiva. A lower HbSO2 index was also found in inflamed gingiva. These findings are consistent with congested blood vessels, impaired venous return, and localized hypoxia in inflamed gingival tissue. Tissue reflectance spectrophotometry is clinically useful in estimating blood volume and oxygen saturation in diseased gingiva.

Changes in Oxygen Consumption in Dog Gingiva during Induction of Experimental Periodontitis

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in oxygen consumption in dog gingiva during induction of experimental periodontitis. The disease was induced in adult mongrel dogs during a 16-week period by placement of silk ligatures around selected teeth. The oxygen consumption rate of gingival tissue was determined in vivo by a non-invasive technique, tissue reflectance spectrophotometry. Changes in such clinical parameters as gingival index, plaque index, pocket depth, attachment level, and gingival crevicular fluid flow indicated acute inflammatory responses during the first three weeks after ligation, followed by the appearance of chronic inflammation during the remaining 13 weeks. The oxygen consumption rate increased during the first seven days after ligation and stayed near the maximum level for 2-7 weeks; this was followed by a gradual decrease during the final nine weeks. These results suggest that gingival oxygen consumption increases rapidly with the increase of acute inflammation responses and then decreases slightly with the gradual development of chronic inflammation. Positive correlations were observed between the oxygen consumption rate and other clinical indices. Thus, the tissue reflectance spectrophotometry is a new, useful method for objective, quantitative, and non-invasive assessment of gingival oxygen consumption.

Effect of mechanical stimulation by tooth brushing on oxygen tension in dog gingiva

To determine oxygen tension (pO2) in gingival tissue, an oxygen micro-electrode with a membrane-coated Pt needle was inserted into the gingiva of 12 dogs. Teeth were brushed using a modified Bass technique for 10 s under 200 g pressure. pO2 increased and reached a maximum 15 min after brushing, then gradually returned to the baseline. A significant increase in pO2 persisted for approx. 1 h. These findings suggest that short-term stimulation by tooth brushing increases oxygen tension in the gingiva.

Utilization of Laboratory Tests of a Gingival Crevicular Sample in an Occupational Periodontal Care System: A Pilot Study

Utilization of Laboratory Tests of a Gingival Crevicular Sample in an Occupational Periodontal Care System: A Pilot Study: Takashi Hanioka, et al. Department of Preventive Dentistry, Osaka University Faculty of Dentistry—Periodontal disease leads to tooth loss in workers during their later life. Workers tend not only to be unaware of the disease but also pay transient attention to their periodontal health. Therefore a variety of information on periodontal health is requested for an occupational health promotion systems, in addition to the conventional screening approaches for periodontal disease. Subgingival plaque and gingival crevicular fluid include biological materials that pose a microbial challenge and affect the host response. The aims of this pilot study were to examine whether the gingival crevicular samples obtained from workers could be tested in bulk at a laboratory, and whether the biological markers in the samples could provide information in addition to a conventional screening approach. A total of 182 periodontal sites were assessed in 96 workers by means of the Community Periodontal Index and 10 laboratory tests. Significant relationships were found between the periodontal variables and the parameters of the laboratory test. Principal component analysis revealed four components of the laboratory tests apart from conventional periodontal variables. Explanations given for the components were serum exudate and bleeding, neutrophil, periodontal pathogen and tissue destruction. These findings indicated that laboratory tests of gingival crevicular samples offer information in addition to that obtained by means of the conventional screening approach.