Helicobacter pylori in dental plaque; is it related to brushing frequency, plaque load and oral health status?

OBJECTIVE To determine the relation between presence of H. pylori in supra-gingival dental plaque with oral hygiene habits and oral health status of patients suffering from symptomatic dyspepsia. STUDY DESIGN Descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY The Department of Oral Health Sciences, Shaikh Zayed FPGMI, Lahore, from September 2008 to August 2009. METHODOLOGY One hundred and fifty dyspeptic subjects with dental plaque were enrolled. After recording brushing frequency, oral health status and plaque load, the supra-gingival dental plaque samples were collected by sterile curettes. Helicobacter pylori were detected in dental plaque samples through PCR assay. RESULTS Presence of H. pylori in dental plaque was found to be 37.5% in the sample. Most of the subjects brushed once daily, had plaque index score of 1 and had fair to poor oral hygiene status. Approximately 35% of the individuals who brushed once or twice a day harbored the bacterium in their dental plaque. There was no difference between bacterial detection rates among different categories of plaque index and oral health status of the study subjects. CONCLUSION Presence of H. pylori in dental plaque was found to be associated with neither brushing frequency nor with the plaque load nor with the oral health status of individuals suffering from symptomatic dyspepsia.