Methods for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Home Oral Hygiene Measures-A Narrative Review of Dental Biofilm Indices

Diagnostic measures for monitoring and follow-up in periodontology and implant dentistry

This review discusses the role of diagnostic measures in the lifelong management of periodontal disease and peri-implant complications. After active treatment, these conditions require regular monitoring of the supporting structures of teeth and dental implants to assess bone and soft tissue health over time. Several clinical measures have been developed for the routine assessment of periodontal and peri-implant tissues, including periodontal and peri-implant probing, bleeding on probing, intraoral radiography, biomarker analysis, and microbiological testing. This review highlights the evolution of diagnostic practices, integrating traditional methods with emerging technologies such as resonance frequency analysis and ultrasound imaging to provide a holistic view of peri-implant health assessment. In addition to objective measurements, patient risk factors are considered. The goals of periodontal and peri-implant maintenance are to control disease activity and stabilize tissues through supportive care, which includes diagnostic measures at follow-up visits. This enables clinicians to monitor treatment outcomes, assess health status, and detect recurrence or progression early through routine evaluation, allowing additional interventions, including adjustment of supportive therapy intervals, to further improve and maintain periodontal and peri-implant stability over time.

Association between metabolic syndrome and salivary MMP-8, myeloperoxidase in periodontitis

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the effect of metabolic syndrome (MetS) on periodontal clinical parameters and salivary biomarkers' matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in patients with periodontitis.

METHODS

A total of 120 participants aged 25-55 were categorized into three groups: MetS with periodontitis (n = 40); systemically healthy with periodontitis (n = 40); and systemically and periodontally healthy controls (n = 40). Data collected included systemic parameters like waist circumference (WC), blood pressure (BP), high- and low-density lipoproteins, triglycerides (TG), fasting blood sugar (FBS), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Periodontal parameters estimated included bleeding on probing score (BoP), full-mouth plaque score (FMPS), periodontal probing depth (PPD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and the number of missing teeth. Unstimulated whole saliva was analyzed via ELISA for active MMP-8 (aMMP-8), total MMP-8 (tMMP-8), and MPO.

RESULTS

Participants with MetS and periodontitis exhibited significantly higher periodontal parameters, salivary aMMP-8, and MPO (26.26 vs. 24.1 ng/mL and 13.53 vs. 11.55 ng/mL compared to systemically healthy periodontitis patients) (all p < 0.01). Positive correlations occurred between aMMP-8 and WC, TG, and FBS (p < 0.01), and between MPO and WC, BP, and TG (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The positive associations between these biomarkers and metabolic parameters indicate their potential utility for monitoring cardiovascular and glycemic risk in patients with periodontal disease.

Impact of an Educational Intervention on Oral Health Knowledge and Bacterial Plaque Control in Male Secondary School Students in a Peruvian Province: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Background

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an educational intervention on oral health knowledge and bacterial plaque control in male secondary school students in a Peruvian province.

Methods

This quasi-experimental study evaluated 294 male secondary school students in southern Peru. Oral health knowledge was measured with a validated 20-item questionnaire. Bacterial plaque was measured with the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S). This was rated as Excellent: 0, Good: 0.1-1.2, Fair: 1.3-3.0 and Poor: 3.1-6.0, before receiving the educational intervention and after four weeks of receiving it. Variables such as age, area of residence, having health professionals as family members, educational level of mother and father, and living with parents were considered. A significance level of p<0.05 was considered.

Results

The comparison between the level of oral health knowledge and the OHI-S, before and after 4 weeks of receiving the educational intervention, showed a significant improvement (p<0.05) in all the categories of the variables studied. Likewise, before the educational intervention, there were significant differences in global knowledge about oral health among the categories of the following variables: age group (p=0.040), area of residence (p<0.001), educational level (father) (p=0.011) and living with parents (p<0.001). However, after four weeks of receiving the educational intervention, no significant differences were observed in all the variables studied (p>0.05). Regarding the OHI-S, no significant differences were observed in any of the variables studied, both before (p>0.05) and after four weeks (p>0.05) of receiving the educational intervention.

Conclusion

After four weeks, the educational intervention significantly improved oral health knowledge and significantly reduced plaque bacterial plaque in male secondary school students in a Peruvian province, regardless of age, area of residence, having health professional family members, educational level of mother and father, and living with parents.