Studies show that people who follow a meticulous plaque-removing regimen develop a more benign bacterial profile in the crevice between the gingiva and the tooth, where periodontal diseases arise. This change in subgingival habitat likely reduces inflammation and causes less fluid to flow into the crevice, thereby delivering fewer nutrients to the colonizing organisms. These studies, however, collect data for no longer than 9 months. As published in the January 2007 issue of the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) grantees take a longer look in a 3-year study of 124 people who were periodontally healthy or had minimal disease. They found that rigorous preventive oral care led to decreases in 35 of 40 test bacterial species in the subgingival space. By year 2, major reductions were detected in the levels of many bacterial species in the genera Actinomyces, Capnocytophaga, Campylobacter, Fusobacterium, and Prevotella. This beneficial shift in subgingival species was associated with clinical improvements. Interestingly, by year 3 the scientists noted a “modest” regrowth of the majority of the species, which the authors speculated might precede a worsening clinical condition.
(Source: NIDCR, Science News in Brief, February 26, 2007)
