Microbiological shifts in intra- and extraoral habitats following mechanical periodontal therapy

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to analyze the intra- and extraoral colonization dynamics of periodontal pathogens following supra- and subgingival debridement.

Material and Methods: Thirty five patients with chronic periodontitis were enrolled in the study. Supra- and subgingival plaque samples, saliva, and swab samples from mucosa and extraoral sites were taken at baseline and 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after mechanical periodontal therapy. Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), Eikenella corrodens (Ec), Tannerella forsythensis (Tf), Prevotella intermedia (Pi), Prevotella nigrescens (Pn), and Treponema denticola (Td) were identified by PCR.

Results: Supra- and subgingival debridement decreased the number of subgingival sites infected with the analyzed pathogens only transiently, if at all. However, the detection frequencies of Tf, Td, Ec, Pi, and Pn in the supragingival region, of Pg, Td, and Pn at the oral mucosa sites (mostly the tongue), and of all pathogens except Aa in saliva increased over the 6-month observation period. Td was the only pathogen recorded in notable quantities in the extraoral habitat (external ear canal).

Conclusion: The results indicate that supra- and subgingival debridement results in a dissemination of periodontal pathogens within the oral cavity.