Approximal plaque pH lowering after sugar intake in a periodontally infected dentition

Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of periodontal inflammation on the approximal plaque pH after a sucrose rinse.

Materials and methods

Thirty-two periodontitis patients (aged 38–72 years; 9M/23F) were included. All patients were in need of periodontal surgery. Two non-adjacent interdental spaces, one healthy (no bleeding on probing [BoP] and probing pocket depth [PPD] < 4 mm) and one periodontally diseased (BoP and PPD ≥5 mm) were selected. Before and after surgery, the approximal plaque pH was measured before and after 2, 5 and 10 min after a 1-min rinse with sucrose solution.

Results

In periodontally diseased interdental spaces, a significant pH drop was seen 5 min after rinsing. In healthy spaces and after surgery, a significant pH drop was seen after 2 min. A multilevel regression analysis showed that greater probing pocket depths were significantly associated with pH change measured 5 min after rinsing (p < .05). Further on, the approximal pH drop after a sucrose rinse tended to be delayed in dentitions with ≥10% of PPD ≥5 mm (p = .052).

Conclusions

The results suggest that an ongoing periodontal inflammation could temporarily neutralize acidic metabolic products after a sugar challenge. This may further suggest that plaque pH measured after a sugar rinse might be used to identify an ongoing periodontal disease.

Keywords:

• Periodontitis
• pH-lowering
• sucrose rinsing
• periodontal infection

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the County of Skåne (Region Skåne) (Project No. 567).