The aim of this systematic review was to investigate whether antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) as either a primary mode of treatment or an adjunct to non-surgical treatment was more effective than scaling and root planing (SRP) alone in treating chronic periodontitis in terms of clinical attachment level (CAL) gain and probing depth (PD) reduction. The focused question was developed using the Patient, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) format, and two authors independently searched the Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases for relevant studies from January 2008 to December 2016. Twenty studies included in this systematic review were randomized clinical trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs of aPDT compared to placebo, no intervention, or non-surgical treatment in an adult population. Basic study characteristics, photosensitizing agents and wavelengths used in aPDT, frequency of aPDT application, effect of aPDT on clinical parameters, antimicrobial effect of aPDT in chronic periodontitis, effect of immunological parameters following aPDT and patient-based outcome measures were collected from the studies. Although there was a wide range of heterogeneity in the included studied, they all indicated that aPDT has the potential to be an effective adjunct in the treatment of chronic periodontitis. Long-term, multicenter studies with larger sample sizes are needed before aPDT can be recommended as an effective treatment modality.

Background Though the use of salivary miRNAs as potential biomarkers has been reported in few diseases/conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and oral cancer, there are no reported studies on their utility in periodontal diagnostics. Thus, the aim of the present study was to profile salivary miRNAs and identify the most suitable salivary miRNA biomarker in chronic periodontitis. Methods In this study, we have explored the potential application of next generation sequencing (NGS) technology for profiling miRNAs in two unstimulated saliva samples collected by passive drool method from a patient diagnosed with generalized chronic periodontitis and a healthy control. Subsequently, the validation of most highly expressed known miRNA in periodontitis was performed in saliva samples collected from an independent set of 16 chronic periodontitis patients and 16 periodontally healthy controls using quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR). Target gene prediction and pathway mapping were performed using bioinformatic tools. Results NGS analysis identified 40 upregulated and 40 downregulated known miRNAs in chronic periodontitis compared to healthy controls, of which miR‐143‐3p was the most highly expressed miRNA in periodontitis (Read count – 227630; fold change – 5.82). Validation using qRT‐PCR showed significant upregulation of miR‐143‐3p expression in the test group compared with controls (P < 0.05). K‐RAS (V‐Ki‐ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene) gene was predicted as the target gene for miR‐143‐3p in humans. KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of genes and genomes) pathway mapping revealed the involvement of K‐RAS in mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway. Conclusions The application of NGS for miRNA expression profiling can be considered a valuable tool in detection of novel biomarkers in periodontal diagnostics. Also, the results of the study points to the potential utility of miR143‐3p as a novel salivary biomarker for chronic periodontitis.

Because periodontal disease is associated with the increased colonization of H. pylori, new treatment modalities, such as plaque control measures, should be employed for the complete management of H. pylori-associated gastric disease.

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Context:Bacterial pathogens in dental plaque are necessary for the development of periodontitis but this etiology alone does not explain all its clinicopathologic features. Researchers have proven the role of certain viruses like herpes virus in periodontal disease which implies that other viral agents like human papilloma virus may also be involved.Aims:This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the proportion of patients with human papilloma virus (HPV-16) in marginal periodontium by analyzing DNA from the gingival tissue sample and to understand its association with periodontitis.Settings and Design:102 systemically healthy patients between the age group of 15 and 70 years reporting to the Department of Periodontology who required surgical intervention (flap surgery for patients with periodontitis and crown lengthening for healthy patients) with internal bevel gingivectomy were selected.Materials and Methods:After scaling and root planning, gingival tissue was collected during the respective surgical procedure. DNA was isolated and amplified using specific primers for HPV-16 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The amplified products were checked by agarose gel electrophoresis.Results:No HPV DNA was detected in the 102 samples analyzed.Conclusion:Marginal periodontium does not contain HPV in this study population and hence there was no association between HPV and periodontitis.