Evaluation of a Colorimetric Assay as a Screening Test for Peridontal Disease

• Main Author: Landzberg, Michael
• Other Authors: Glogauer, Michael
• Language: en_ca
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: 0567
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/18826

Background: Periodontal diagnosis relies on intraoral observable clinical factors including bleeding, probing depths, attachment loss, bone loss, and amount of plaque and calculus. Objective: To correlate neutrophil quantity and a colorimetric assay from an oral rinse with level of periodontal disease. To use this assay as a screening test for periodontal disease. Methods: Periodontal examinations of patients with healthy periodontium and periodontal disease were performed (n=125). Two concurrent saline rinses, 20 seconds each, were collected. Neutrophils were counted in each rinse. ABTS, a colour changing redox reagent, was added. The colour change was documented. Descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlation, PPV, NPV, sensitivity and specificity were calculated. Results: Statistically significant correlation was found between neutrophils and colour change (rs=0.80, p<0.001); PPV and NPV for bleeding were 0.74 and 0.73, respectively. Conclusions: There is a correlation between neutrophils, colour change, and periodontal disease. The colorimetric assay can be used as a screening test for periodontal inflammation.