A study by Royzman, et al published in the Journal of Periodontology assessed the effects of aspirin on bleeding on probing (BOP). The study involved 54 subjects who were assigned to a placebo group, a group with an intake of 81 mg of aspirin daily for 1 week, and a group with an intake of 325 mg of aspirin daily for 1 week. Plaque index, probing depth, and BOP were assessed for all teeth (6 sites per tooth) before and after exposure to the aspirin or placebo. The study found that BOP showed a significant relationship with both dosages of aspirin, whereas there was no significant change in BOP associated with the placebo. In the 81-mg aspirin group, increase in percent BOP from baseline was 5.30, and in the 325-mg aspirin, the increase in BOP was 4.13.
The study concludes that the effects of aspirin on BOP should be considered to avoid misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.
(Source: Dental Abstracts, Vol. 50, No. 1, 2005)
