Sulcular sulfide monitoring: an indicator of early dental plaque-induced gingival disease.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) and gingival health status and to determine if volatile sulfur compounds can detect early dental plaque-induced gingival disease. METHODS A split-mouth design with randomly selected quadrants of the mandibular arch enabled 39 participants to serve as their own controls. At baseline and at three subsequent appointments (days 7, 14, and 21) gingival inflammation (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP), and sulfide levels (SUL) were measured using the Gingival Index and the Diamond Probe/Perio 2000 System. For three weeks, participants refrained from brushing and flossing one randomly selected quadrant of the mandibular arch. The Pearson correlation test was used to determine the relationship between sulfide concentrations and gingival health. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare the differences in mean GI, BOP, and SUL scores between the hygiene side (H) and the non-hygiene side (NH). RESULTS Data suggest that SUL correlate positively to GI and BOP on both sides; however, the strength of the correlation was stronger for the NH side. A comparison of mean GI, BOP, and SUL scores revealed a statistically significant difference between sides for all three parameters from baseline to day 21, except for SUL on day 14. CONCLUSIONS Based on study outcomes, the Diamond Probe/Perio 2000 System demonstrated the ability to detect sites with elevated SUL; therefore, SUL may be a useful adjunctive indicator of early plaque-induced gingivitis. In addition, data revealed a moderate correlation between SUL levels and gingival inflammation on the NH sides. Whether sulfur by-product is a contributor to the disease process, or merely a correlate, is inconclusive.