HELICOBACTER-PYLORI IN DENTAL PLAQUE AND GASTRIC-MUCOSA

Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of He licobacter pylori in both dental plaque and gastric mucus. Study desig n. Dental scaling hand instruments were used to collect supragingival and subgingival dental plaque from 81 dentate participants. Denture pl aque was obtained from the fitting surfaces of dentures from 41 edentu lous patients. Gastric mucus from gastric mucosa of antrum and body of stomach were collected from all 122 participants (92% white) with a s oft gastroscopic brush. These samples were dispersed in modified urea broth and normal saline solution before being inoculated onto selectiv e Skirrow's agar and incubated in a microaerophilic atmosphere for cul turing H. pylori Results. Dental plaque from all dentate participants was negative for H. pylori culture. Only one 80-year-old edentulous pa tient had positive H. pylori culture in both gastric mucus and denture plaque. Conclusions. Although dental plaque has a mixed flora that ma y act as a reservoir for gastric reinfection, dental plaque could not be implicated as the major reservoir of H. pylori for gastric reinfect ion.