Relationship between periodontal inflammation and sulfide levels in gingival sulcus

Objective To investigate the relationship between volatile sulphur compounds(VSC) and periodontal health status.Methods Seventeen patients with periodontitis,15 gingivitis patients and 15 periodontally healthy persons were included in the study.Clinical examinations including probing depth,attachment level,tooth mobility,bleeding on probing were performed at six sites of each tooth.Sulfur levels(SUL) were measured at the same six sites using a Diamond Probe/Perio 2000 system.Results The periodontitis group had a significantly higher SUL level than the gingivitis group did,and the gingivitis group had a significantly higher SUL level than the healthy group did(P(0.001)).Significantly positive correlations were observed between the sulfide levels and other traditional periodontal parameters(P0.001).Conclusion VSC may be associated with the initiation and progression of periodontal diseases.Combining with the traditional clinical assessments,SUL monitoring should be considered as a valuable periodontal parameter.