Periodontal treatment outcomes in smokers: A narrative review

Tobacco-enhanced biofilm formation by Porphyromonas gingivalis and other oral microbes

Microbial biofilms promote pathogenesis by disguising antigens, facilitating immune evasion, providing protection against antibiotics and other antimicrobials and, generally, fostering survival and persistence. Environmental fluxes are known to influence biofilm formation and composition, with recent data suggesting that tobacco and tobacco-derived stimuli are particularly important mediators of biofilm initiation and development in vitro and determinants of polymicrobial communities in vivo. The evidence for tobacco-augmented biofilm formation by oral bacteria, tobacco-induced oral dysbiosis, tobacco-resistance strategies, and bacterial physiology is summarized herein. A general overview is provided alongside specific insights gained through studies of the model and archetypal, anaerobic, Gram-negative oral pathobiont, Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Soft-Tissue Augmentation in Periodontally Compromised Patients during Immediate Placement and Immediate Loading Dental Implant Surgery - A Retrospective Study

Introduction

The purpose of this article is to describe a soft-tissue augmentation procedure for multiple tooth extraction sites during immediate placement and immediate loading (IPIL) dental implant surgery in periodontally compromised patients and to present follow-up results of its effectiveness.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted on data from patients who underwent IPIL dental implant surgery between 2018 and 2021 at an oral implant centre in Bulgaria. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 103 patients were included, 53 of whom had pre-operative indications for connective tissue grafts (CTGs) and 50 of whom did not. The post-operative incidence of gum recession was evaluated in the two patient groups.

Results

The majority of the 53 patients (56.60%) had six, seven or eight tooth sites grafted. A significant proportion (87%) needed CTGs at the canine teeth (13 and 23), P < 0.001. The post-operative data showed a low incidence of gum recessions in both the patient groups, with a lower rate in the CTG group at tooth no: 13 (2.20% vs. 18%, P = 0.016) and in the total sum of 10 tooth sites with CTGs (P = 0.001). A reduction in gum problems and increased satisfaction with gum health and aesthetics were reported by 100% of the CTG patients.

Discussion

Soft-tissue augmentation at multiple tooth extraction sites during IPIL dental implant treatment may benefit periodontally compromised patients through an improved prosthesis-tissue interface in the aesthetic area and a reduction in gum infections, swelling, bleeding and pain.

Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy using chloro-aluminum phthalocyanine for treating advanced stage-III periodontitis in smoking patients

PURPOSE

To evaluate the bacterial, clinical, and cytokine profile of adjunctive photodynamic therapy using chloro-aluminum phthalocyanine (CAP/aPDT) with root surface debridement (RSD) versus RSD alone in cigarette smokers (CS) and never-smokers (NS) during the period of 6 months.

METHODS

Twenty-nine patients [CS - 14 and NS - 15] were recruited for the trial having stage-III periodontitis. All candidates from the study groups were subjected to a split-mouth treatment technique receiving CAP/aPDT + RSD and RSD alone. Periodontal parameters including plaque levels (PL), bleeding on probing (BP), probing depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and marginal bone loss (MBL) were assessed. Polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay was used to analyze the copy numbers of Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and Tannerella forsythia (Tf). Levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) interleukin (IL)-6 in the crevicular fluid were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

CAP/aPDT+RSD decreased BP in smokers after 6 months (p < .05). Probing depth and CAL reported statistically significant reductions within both CAP/aPDT+RSD and RSD groups and also within the NS and CS (p < .05). Pg and Tf stayed elevated in smokers at the 6-month evaluation period (p < .01). Only CAP/aPDT+RSD significantly decreased Pg and Tf at 3- and 6-month follow-up in smokers (p < .05). CAP/aPDT+RSD showed decreased IL-6 levels in the NS during the 6-month follow-up (p < .01). TNF-α levels were significantly reduced in the CS group with CAP/aPDT+RSD and RSD alone until 6 months (p < .01).

CONCLUSION

CAP-mediated aPDT along with nonsurgical periodontal therapy helped to improve the bacteriological outcomes among smokers and never-smokers with stage-III CP patients.

Chloro-aluminum phthalocyanine-mediated photodynamic therapy in the treatment of stage-II chronic periodontitis among smokers

PURPOSE

To assess the clinical periodontal, bacterial, and immunological outcomes of chloro-aluminum phthalocyanine-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) as an adjunct to dental scaling (DS) versus DS alone among cigarette smokers (CS) and never-smokers (NS).

METHODS

A total of 26 patients (13 CS and 13 NS) with clinical and radiographic diagnosis of stage-II chronic periodontitis were recruited. Each patient from both groups were subjected with two parallel therapies (split-mouth): PDT + DS (test side) and DS alone (control side). Periodontal parameters were investigated by evaluating plaque scores (PS), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and alveolar bone loss (ABL). Subgingival plaque was collected to detect and quantify Porphyromonas gingivalis and Tannerella forsythia using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay. Gingival crevicular fluid was sampled for the quantification of interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. All assessments were performed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months.

RESULTS

Bleeding on probing was significantly reduced at 6 months after PDT + DS in CS groups (p < .05). Mean PD and CAL significantly reduced after both PDT + DS and DS subgroups and among NS and CS groups (p < .05). At 6 months follow-up, the copy number of both P. gingivalis and T. forsythia remained significantly high in CS group (p < .01). Only PDT + DS subgroup in CS significantly reduced the counts of P. gingivalis and T. forsythia at 3 months and 6 months (p < .05). Only at 6 months did PDT + DS showed statistically significantly reduced IL-1β levels in the NS group (p < .01). TNF-α levels significantly reduced in CS group with PDT + DS and DS alone at both 3 months and 6 months follow-up (p < .01).

CONCLUSION

Chloro-aluminum phthalocyanine-mediated PDT helped to improve the non-surgical periodontal therapy outcomes among stage-II chronic periodontitis patients among smokers and never-smokers.

Impact of Smoking Habit on Peri-Implant Indicators following Different Therapies: A Systematic Review

Peri-implant disease and its treatment is becoming a major concern for clinicians as the number of implants placed each year is rising. Smoking is a common habit, and it is associated with an increased risk of developing peri-implant disease. The role of smoking in the response to peri-implant treatment has never been investigated. Searches were conducted in electronic databases to screen articles published until August 2021. The included studies had at least two groups of patients: peri-implant disease only or peri-implant disease and smoking status. Outcomes of interest included plaque index (PI), probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BoP), radiographic crestal bone loss (CBL), and analysis of peri-implant sulcular fluid. Seven hundred and forty-nine articles were found in the databases, only 71 articles potentially qualified. A total of seven studies with a minimum follow-up of six months were included. There is no homogeneity in the diagnosis, smoker definition and treatment proposed. All surgical and non-surgical treatment have statistically significantly different outcomes in smokers and nonsmokers. Recognizing this study’s limitations, we conclude that smoking might play a significant role on the outcome of peri-implant disease treatment. None of the proposed treatments appear to be significantly more effective.

mTOR Signaling in the Regulation of CD4+ T Cell Subsets in Periodontal Diseases

Periodontal disease results from the inflammatory infiltration by the microbial community which is marked through tooth mobility and alveolar bone resorption. The inflammation in periodontal disease is mediated by CD4⁺ T cells through cytokine secretion and osteoclastogenetic activity. Historically, the inflammatory model in periodontal disease is described through disruption of the balance between two subsets of T helper cells which are T-helper type 1 (Th1) and T-helper type 2 (Th2). However, more and more studies have found that apart from subsets of helper T cells, regulatory T-cells and Th17 cells are also involved in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. Growing evidence proves that helper T cells differentiation, activation, and subset determination are under the strong impact of mTOR signaling. mTOR signaling could promote Th1 and Th17 cell differentiation and inhibit Treg commitment through different mTOR complexes, therefore we anticipate a regulation effect of mTOR signaling on periodontal diseases by regulating CD4⁺ T cell subsets. This review aims to integrate the topical researches about the role of different types of Th cells in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases, as well as the regulation of mTOR signaling in the specification and selection of Th cell commitment.