Proposal #01-05

"Sulphur By-Product: A Potential Indicator of Periodontal Disease Activity"

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between volatile sulfide compounds and gingival health status, and to identify the volatile sulfide level at which gingivitis occurs, using an experimental gingivitis model. The sample consists of 12 subjects between the age from 18 to 40 with healthy gingival status. A split-mouth design using the mandibular arch with half of the arch being cleaned daily and the other half receiving no daily oral care for 21 days. After baseline data collection, subjects will refrain from brushing and flossing one randomly selected half of the mandibular arch. Data will be collected at baseline and at 8 subsequent time points. The following measurements will be obtained: Gingival Index, periodontal pocket depth, bleeding on probing and sulfide levels. The Diamond Probe/Perio 2000 System will be used to obtain measurements of sulfide concentrations within the gingival sulci. Data will be analyzed using analysis of variance for repeated measures at = .05.