Effect of initial periodontal therapy on sulcular/tongue sulfide level: A pilot study

Background : Volatile sulfur compounds (VSC), such as hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan and dimethyl sulfide, are toxic metabolites produced by periodontal pathogens. These VSC are also released from the tongue dorsum. Currently, limited data are available on how periodontal treatments may affect sulcular/ tongue sulfide level. The aim of this study was to determine effect of initial therapy including oral hygiene instruction and scaling and root planing (SRP) on sulcular/tongue sulfide level. Methods : Thirteen subjects diagnosed with chronic periodontitis and having three representative periodontal pocket depth (PD) strata in one quadrant (PD ≤ 3.0 mm: healthy, 4.0 mm ≤ PD ≤ 6.0 mm: moderate, and PD ≥ 7.0 mm: severe disease sites) were selected. Clinical periodontal parameters were recorded at base-line and 3 weeks after completion of the initial therapy. The sulfide levels in three representative periodontal pockets (pS) and on three parts (anterior, middle, and posterior) of the tongue dorsum (tS) were measured using a commercial sulfide-monitoring device. Results : The pS levels of the three representative sites were reduced significantly following the initial therapy (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant reduction of the tS level in all three parts of the tongue. Conclusions : The initial periodontal therapy such as oral hygiene and SRP reduces the sulcular sulfide level but not the tongue sulfide level. This suggests that sulcular sulfide level may be a possible indicator for assessing the outcome of initial periodontal treatment.