Observational studies support an association between periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases. The study objective was to assess vascular inflammation after periodontal treatment in patients with peripheral arterial disease. Ninety patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and severe periodontitis were enrolled in a randomized, controlled trial. Thirty patients underwent non-surgical periodontal therapy and received additional systemic antibiotics (PT1 group), while 30 patients received the same therapy without antibiotics (PT2 group). The remaining thirty patients did not receive periodontal therapy (CG, control group). The primary outcome of this treatment was a reduction in vascular inflammation three months after periodontal treatment as determined by 18F-FDG PET/CT values. Secondary outcomes were changes in the inflamed periodontal surface area (PISA) and other periodontal parameters, changes in vascular biomarkers, and adverse cardiovascular events. After three months of treatment, a significant improvement in periodontal health was observed in the treatment groups. However, no difference in the primary outcome in the aorta was observed in the three study groups (median target to background ratio follow-up/baseline, PT1 1.00; 95% CI 0.97-1.10, PT2 1.00; 95% CI 0.98-1.1, CG 1.1; 95% CI 0.99-1.1, p = 0.75). No significant differences were detected in most diseased segments and active segments. In addition, no differences were observed in 18F-FDG uptake in the carotid, iliac, femoral, and popliteal arteries. No differences with regard to relative changes in vascular biomarkers were noted, and no serious cardiovascular adverse events occurred. Periodontal treatment was effective and safe but did not reduce vascular inflammation in patients with PAD.

Objectives: Periodontal disease occurs frequently in patients with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc) while data about underlying pathways contributing to periodontal changes are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate periodontal disease and to investigate its association with endothelial dysfunction and clinical changes in patients with lcSSc.Methods: In 38 lcSSc patients and 38 controls, periodontal status was evaluated by disease‐specific questionnaire, dental examination including bleeding on probing (BOP), pocket depth, and plaque index, and dental panoramic radiograph. Periodontopathogen bacteria were collected subgingivally using paper points and interleukin‐1 (IL‐1) gene polymorphisms were evaluated using buccal swabs. Endothelial dysfunction was measured by flow‐mediated dilatation, pulse‐wave velocity and biochemical analysis, including arginine metabolites and endothelial microparticles. Additionally, lcSSc‐specific clinical changes and parameters were recorded.Results: Periodontitis was present in 31 patients with lcSSc (81.6%) and in 27 controls (71.1%) (p = .280). LcSSc patients had a lower teeth number (p = .039) and Eikenella corrodens was to a higher degree detectable in patients with lcSSc (p = .041) while the remaining periodontal parameters revealed no differences between both cohorts. Significant correlations between parameters of arterial stiffness, EUSTAR index, number of teeth and BOP were observed (all p < .05). Detection of Prevotella intermedia was associated with selected IL‐1 gene polymorphisms (p = .032) and Porphyromonas gingivalis was associated with severe periodontitis (p = .041).Conclusion: Periodontal disease may occur frequently in patients with lcSSc and may be associated with arterial stiffness and with SSc activity.

Objective: To investigate non‐surgical periodontal therapy by 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose (2‐[¹⁸F]FDG) uptake using positron emission tomography (PET) integrated with computed tomography (CT).Subjects: Eighty‐five patients with peripheral artery disease and severe periodontitis—randomized into three groups receiving therapy with (PT1; n = 29) or without (PT2; n = 28) systemic antibiotics or no treatment (controls: n = 28)—underwent nuclear imaging at baseline and at 3 months.Results: Clinical inflammation (periodontal inflamed surface area; PISA) did not significantly differ across the groups at baseline (p = 0.395) but was significantly reduced at 3 months (p < 0.001), and significantly more so in the PT1/PT2 groups than in the control group (p < 0.001/=0.025) and in the PT1 than in the P2 group (p = 0.001). Radiotracer uptake was measured in both jaws using maximum and mean ‘standardized uptake values’ (SUV_max, SUV_mean) and ‘target‐to‐background ratios’ (TBR_max, TBR_mean). At 3 months, reductions were relatively small in absolute numbers and fell short of revealing correlations with PISA or significant differences across the groups. Still, they were very consistent in both treatment groups, whereas reductions were not consistently seen in the control group.Conclusions: 2‐[¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT scans did reflect the clinical effects of periodontal treatment very consistently but, for reasons yet to be clarified, less closely than expected.

Purpose: To determine how the currently available techniques of scaling and root planing, used either alone or with additional polishing techniques, affect the substance thickness and surface roughness of enamel and cementum. Materials and Methods: After extraction, impacted third molars were prepared and subjected to air polishing with a nonabrasive powder, ultrasonic scaling, or hand instrumentation. All three techniques were performed alone and in combinations for a total of 9 treatment groups. The control group consisted of untreated surfaces. Optical microco-ordination measurements were conducted to separately assess substance loss, mean roughness depth (Rz), and roughness average (Ra) on enamel and cementum. The Rz results were analysed using a t-test for paired samples. Results: Air polishing alone and with additional rubber-cup polishing using a paste were the only two approaches which caused no enamel loss. Both groups also entailed less cementum loss (<_ 20 pm) than any of the other seven groups, and both yielded the most favorable Rz results on enamel. Air polishing alone was the only group to reveal no significant change in Rz from untreated cementum (p = 0.999). The other 8 approaches statistically sig-nificantly reduced the surface roughness of cementum (p < 0.017). Conclusion: Air polishing with a nonabrasive powder yielded the best hard-tissue preservation. Combining any of the scaling techniques with additional polishing was not beneficial; on the contrary, they caused even more abra-sion of hard tissue on both enamel and cementum.

Background/Objectives: The long-term success of dental implants can be influenced by the material properties of abutments and their interaction with peri-implant tissues. This study investigates the impact of three abutment materials—titanium (Ti), zirconium oxide (Zr), and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)—on the inflammatory response in peri-implant sulcular fluid (PISF), using active-matrix metalloproteinase-8 (aMMP-8) as a biomarker. Methods: In this prospective, randomized clinical trial, 30 patients were assigned to Ti, Zr, or PMMA abutment groups. PISF samples were collected at predefined intervals over 12 months and analyzed for aMMP-8 levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Clinical parameters (probing depth, bleeding on probing, and plaque index) and radiographic assessments of bone resorption were also evaluated. Results: Two weeks after implant uncovering, baseline aMMP-8 levels varied significantly among materials, with Zr demonstrating the highest levels. Over time (2, 3, 6 and 12 months after implant uncovering), aMMP-8 levels decreased across all groups, with no significant differences observed at 12 months. Radiographic assessments indicated no statistically significant differences in bone resorption, with clinical parameters remaining comparable across all groups. Conclusions: Initial inflammatory responses to abutment materials may vary; however, all tested materials—Ti, Zr, and PMMA—showed long-term biocompatibility and supported healthy peri-implant tissue integration. These findings indicate that selecting any of the tested abutment materials does not significantly affect long-term peri-implant health.

Artificial intelligence–generated informed consent forms for oral surgery demonstrated higher quality and better readability than conventional web-based forms, though both fell short of recommended comprehension levels.