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Abstract Background The oral cavity is a complex environment which harbours the second largest and most diverse microflora after the gastrointestinal tract. The bacteriome in the oral cavity plays a pivotal role in promoting the health and well-being of human beings. Gingivitis, an inflammation of the gingival tissue, arises due to plaque accumulation on the teeth, often leads to periodontitis. Progression of periodontitis resulting in clinical attachment loss, bone loss and eventually the tooth loss is poorly understood. The present study explores the transitions in microbioata, oxidative stress and polyamine levels during the disease evolution which can contribute to developing effective therapeutic approaches. Methods Saliva samples were collected from seventy-two individuals after procuring informed consent who were either healthy, gingivitis or stage-specific periodontitis patients. Periodontitis stage was confirmed by clinical and radiographic analysis. Microbiota analysis was carried out by 16S rRNA sequencing on the Nanopore PromethIONsystem platform of Oxford Nanopore technologies. Polyamine levels were quantified with fluorescence spectrophotometer. Ornithine decarboxylase quantification was evaluated by ELISA method. Antioxidant levels of the salivary samples were measured by DPPH, SOD, and catalase assays. Autophagy was measured by acid phosphatase assay. Result The salivary microbiota exhibited significant changes in their abundance and diversity between healthy individuals and those with conditions such as gingivitis, and chronic periodontitis. A significant increase in polyamines and ornithine decarboxylase was found in gingivitis and various stages of periodontitis. Elevated oxidative stress observed in gingivitis and periodontitis could have resulted in cell death. Conclusion The current study shows the role of salivary microbiota and polyamines in gingivitis and different periodontitis stages. The progressive elevation of Streptococcus levels from gingivitis to periodontitis, coupled with polyamine concentrations, may serve as a promising identification marker for assessing the severity of periodontal disease. Insight into the oral bacterial flora and associated physiological changes provide a foundation for targeted therapeutic interventions in gingivitis and periodontitis diseases emphasising the importance of personalised oral health management strategies.

Abstract Periodontitis is an inflammatory condition of supporting structures of teeth leading to attachment and bone loss. Cigarette smoking is the single most important and modifiable risk factor with 5 to 20-fold susceptibility for periodontal diseases. Reverse smoking is a peculiar habit of smoking where the lit end is kept inside the mouth, which is predominant in the northern coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. Polyamines are biologically active amines involved in tissue regeneration and modulation of inflammation. The study aimed to evaluate polyamines and check their utility as a marker in detection of periodontitis among different groups. Total polyamine levels showed significant increase in reverse smokers with periodontitis when compared to the other groups. Qualitative analysis by thin layer chromatography showed three polyamine bands with varying intensity among the different groups. Mass spectrometric and NMR analyses of the three bands identified them as N1, N8-diacetyl spermidine, N-acetyl cadaverine and lysine. Most significantly elevated levels of lysine was observed in the smoker and reverse smoker periodontitis groups when compared to healthy and non-smoker periodontitis groups. The significantly elevated levels of N-acetyl cadaverine could be responsible for the more destruction of periodontium in the reverse smoker group. Antioxidant potential decreased significantly in different smoker periodontitis groups. The present study suggests that the quantitative analysis of salivary polyamines, lysine and N-acetyl cadaverine can aid as an easy noninvasive diagnostic method for assessing the periodontal status, especially in smokers.

Aim: A force of 400 g at 2700 revolutions per minute (RPM) results in an optimum leukocyte and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF). Most of centrifuges with varying characteristics generate a g-force in excess of 700 g at 2700 RPM. In this context, the study explores the effect of the original centrifugation protocol and a modified protocol tailor-made to lower the RPM to generate a g-force of ~ 400 g on platelet concentration, clot size and growth factors release in L-PRF prepared in two different commercially available centrifuges. Materials and Methods: Twenty five subjects each were assigned to the following groups; R1 and R2 where L-PRF was obtained from two laboratory swing-out centrifuges (Remi 8C® and Remi C854®, Mumbai, India), respectively. PRF was obtained from each subject within a group using two protocols; Original (O) protocol: conforming to the original centrifugation cycle (2700 RPM for 12 min) and Modified (M) protocol. Clot size, growth factor estimation, and platelet counts were measured at 20, 40, and 60 min from all the L-PRF clots, respectively. Results: At the third time period (40–60 min), there were no significant differences in clot sizes with the original protocol (P = 0.09), but a highly significant difference was noticed with the modified protocol in both the centrifuges (P = 0.001). Our results showed an increased concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor and epidermal growth factor with modified protocol than with original protocol with both the centrifuges (P = 0.001). By the end of second and third time periods, more platelet concentration was observed with modified protocol than with the original protocol in both the centrifuges (P = 0.001). Conclusion: This study infers that the centrifuge type and relative centrifugal force can affect the quality and quantity of cells and growth factors and an optimum relationship between g-force and RPM should be maintained to obtain L-PRF with adequate cell viability and optimum growth factor release.

Background and Aim: Pain control is an important outcome measure for successful periodontal therapy. Injected local anesthesia has been used to secure anesthesia for scaling and root planing (SRP) and continues to be the anesthetic of choice for pain control. Alternatively, intra-pocket anesthetic gel has been used as an anesthetic during SRP. Hence, this clinical trial was done to compare the effectiveness of intra-pocket anesthetic gel and injected local anesthesia during SRP and also to assess the influence of intra-pocket anesthetic gel on treatment outcomes in chronic periodontitis patients. Materials and Methods: Fifteen systemically healthy chronic periodontitis patients were recruited. The dental quadrants on right side received either intra-pocket 20% benzocaine gel (Gel group) or infiltration/block by 2% lidocaine with 1:80,000 adrenaline (injection group). Quadrants on the left side received the alternative. Pain perception and patients preference for the type of anesthesia was recorded. Clinical parameters: plaque index, modified gingival index, modified sulcular bleeding index, probing pocket depth, and clinical attachment level were recorded at baseline and 1 month after treatment. Results: No difference was observed in visual analog scale (P > 0.05) and verbal rating scale (P > 0.05) pain perception between gel group and injection group. A slightly increased preference to gel as anesthesia (53% vs. 47%) was observed. The treatment outcome after SRP did not show a significant difference between gel and injection group (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Intra-pocket administration of 20% benzocaine gel may be effective for pain control during SRP and may offer an alternative to conventional injection anesthesia.