Relationship between sulfide level and severity of periodontal disease

Objectives: Volatile sulfur compounds(VSC), such as hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan, are toxic metabolites produced by anaerobic, gram-negative bacteria(porphyromonas gingivalis is considered to be most potent.) retained mainly in periodontal pockets and may be involved in the induction and/or progression of periodontal disease. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between sulcular sulfide(PS) levels and severity of periodontal disease. Methods: 8 periodontitis patients (5 females) with no systemic disease were under investigation and their mean age is 36 years. The severity of periodontal disease was evaluated by clinical attachment loss(AL): AL<2mm, low; AL between 2 and 5mm(including 2mm), moderate; AL>=5mm, severe. Periodontal parameters, including plaque index(PLI), probing depth(PD), clinical attachment loss(AL) and bleeding index(BI), were recorded. The VSC level was measured by using a portable sulfide monitor(Diamond Probe) in a digital score ranging from 0.0 to 5.0 in increments of 0.5. Results: The mean PS levels of low, moderate, and severe disease sites were 0.10±0.25, 0.40±0.46, 1.08±0.88 respectively, which is statistically different (P<0.001)from each other. There were significantly positive correlations between VSC level and AL, BI, PD, PLI respectively (P<0.001). Conclusions: The sulcular sulfide level is positively correlative to the other known periodontal parameters. The VSC level may be a potential indicator for detecting the severity of periodontal disease.