Elevated subgingival temperature infers high bacterial pathogen counts in severe periodontitis

Area of Science:

• Periodontology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Periodontal inflammation is often assessed using bleeding on probing.
• Subgingival temperature is a potential, less-explored indicator of periodontal inflammation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between subgingival temperature and specific bacterial groups in deep periodontal pockets.
• To determine if elevated subgingival temperature is associated with increased levels of periodontal pathogens.

Main Methods:

• Eight adults with deep periodontal pockets (6-10mm) and bleeding on probing were included.
• Electronic temperature probe identified "hot" (elevated temperature) and "cool" (normal temperature) pockets.
• Microbial samples from hot and cool pockets were cultured for selected periodontal pathogens.

Main Results:

• "Hot" pockets exhibited significantly higher absolute and normalized subgingival temperatures compared to "cool" pockets.
• Higher mean proportions of Porphyromonas gingivalis were found in hot pockets (10.2%) versus cool pockets (2.5%).
• Total red/orange complex periodontal pathogens were significantly higher in hot pockets (48.0%) compared to cool pockets (24.6%).

Conclusions:

• Deep periodontal pockets with elevated temperatures harbor significantly higher levels of major periodontal pathogens.
• Subgingival temperature measurement shows potential for assessing periodontitis progression risk.
• Subgingival temperature may also be useful in evaluating the efficacy of periodontal therapies.