The possible role of dental plaque as extra-gastric reservoir of Helicobacter pylori in gastric re-infection: A science-metric study

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is one of the most common infections which still affects individuals worldwide. The main route for transmission of H. pylori infection is the oral route and this microorganism has been detected in dental plaque. In past decades, there have been a number of controversies about the station of dental plaque in the recurrence of gastric H. pylori Infection after eradication by triple therapy. In this study, attempts have been made to illustrate the current body of high quality evidence in this field. METHODS: All relevant studies published between 2000 and 2017 were included in this review. The creditable databases were searched for relevant key words. The cross-sectional, experimental, and interventional investigations assessing the existence of H. pylori in the plaque, the state of plaque in gastric re-infection, the presence of co-infection between the oral cavity and stomach, the influence of triple therapy on the plaque, and the impression of periodontal treatments on prevention of recurrent gastric H. pylori infection were included. RESULTS: Science metric review of literature demonstrated considerable disagreement with no definite conclusion. Due to the existing diversity in methodology and population groups, wide variation in results was reported. CONCLUSION: Further homogenous studies are required to more clarify the “H. pylori in dental plaque” theory.