Effect of gingival fluid collection on subgingival plaque sampling

Area of Science:

• Periodontology
• Microbiology
• Dental Diagnostics

Background:

• Accurate subgingival plaque sampling is crucial for diagnosing and managing periodontal diseases.
• Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) analysis is a non-invasive diagnostic tool.
• The impact of prior GCF sampling on subsequent plaque analysis is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) sampling using paper strips removes enough bacteria to interfere with subsequent subgingival plaque sampling via curette.
• To assess the influence of GCF strip sampling on bacterial load and microbial composition in subgingival plaque samples.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-five subjects with healthy, gingivitis, and periodontitis sites were enrolled.
• GCF was collected from selected sites using paper strips (5-second intracrevicular placement).
• Subgingival plaque was subsequently collected from the same sites using a curette for bacterial analysis.

Main Results:

• Paper strip GCF sampling removed a significant number of bacteria from the intracrevicular space.
• A higher proportion of total bacteria was removed from healthy sites compared to gingivitis or periodontitis sites.
• Qualitative analysis suggested potential interference with the detection of spirochetes and dark-pigmented species at healthy and gingivitis sites.

Conclusions:

• Paper strip GCF sampling can significantly alter the bacterial profile obtained by subsequent curette sampling.
• The extent of this interference is dependent on the clinical status of the periodontal site (healthy, gingivitis, periodontitis).
• Researchers should consider the potential impact of prior GCF strip sampling when designing studies involving subgingival plaque analysis.