Non-surgical Periodontal Treatment Favorably Modulates Plaque Biofilm and Host Response

Objectives: Chronic periodontitis results from an uncontrolled host response to periodontopathogens in pathogenic plaque biofilms such as P. gingivalis. Non-surgical periodontal therapy aims to control the pathogenic plaque biofilms and modulate host response favoring the healing of periodontal tissues. The present randomized control trial evaluated the effects of periodontal treatment on host response and microbial plaque biofilms. Methods: Fifty subjects were randomly allocated to control and test groups. Subjects in the test group were subjected to non-surgical periodontal therapy, whilst the control group received only oral hygiene instructions. Dental plaque samples, saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) were collected from each subject at baseline and 3 months after the treatment. Periodontal parameters were recorded. Plaque samples were assessed using Taqman species-specific real-time PCR, while salivary and GCF samples were evaluated by ELISA for a panel of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Results: Periodontal treatment significantly improved all periodontal parameters including plaque, bleeding on probing and probing depth in the test group, as compared to the controls (P<0.05). Dental plaque biofilms were favorably modulated by the treatment with a reduction of P. gingivalis load. The treatment also modulated host response favorably as indicated by reduction of IL-1 and MIF levels as well as increase of IL-1ra level. Conclusion: The present study shows that non-surgical periodontal treatment could favorably modulate pathogenic plaque biofilms and host response. Supported by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (GRF HKU766909M to LJJ).