Microbiological characterization of a population affected by periodontitis
with different levels of bone health
Leonardo Guasti, Luisella Cianferotti, Barbara Pampaloni, Mirko Duradoni, Francesco Tonelli, Magda Passafaro, Francesco Martelli, Teresa Iantomasi, Maria Luisa Brandi
Introduction: Both osteoporosis and periodontitis are diseases characterized by deficits at the level of bone tissue, where bone resorption exceeds neo-formation, resulting in bone loss.
Materials and methods: In the context of a monocentric cross-sectional observational study carried out through the collaboration between the University of Florence and the private dentistry institute Excellence Dental Network, 110 subjects affected by periodontitis were recruited. Of these, 71 were also affected by osteoporosis or osteopenia and 39 were not osteoporotic or osteopenic. Data were collected on oral microbiota, oral health and bone health.
Results: The collected data reveal a population of frail subjects in terms of fracture risk. The most common forms of periodontitis were essentially chronic in nature, and mainly of a moderate or even severe type, with high gingival recession and periodontal pocket depth values. The microbial species associated with Socransky's red and orange complexes showed concentration values nearly always above 10³ copies/mL.
Conclusions: The relationship between osteoporosis and periodontitis still needs to be explored in depth. Data from our analyses are certainly interesting and provide a basis for designing further studies in larger populations.
KEY WORDS: Periodontal disease, bone disease, oral microbiota.
