BACTEREMIA CAUSED BY PERIODONTAL PROBING

Bacteraemia of oral origin may result in infective endocarditis in sus ceptible individuals. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate t he occurrence of bacteraemia due to periodontal probing. Thirty patien ts (15 male, 15 female; mean age 42.7 years) with untreated periodonti tis were investigated. All were free of significant medical disorders and none had taken antibiotics in the previous month. Prior to and imm ediately following periodontal probing, 20 mL of venous blood were obt ained from each patient and inoculated into aerobic and anaerobic bloo d culture bottles and incubated. Negative bottles were monitored conti nuously for three weeks before being discarded. Periodontal probing co nsisted of measuring pockets at six points around each tooth and recor ding the presence or absence of bleeding. A positive bacteraemia was r ecorded for three of the patients prior to probing. One patient exhibi ted Prevotella species whilst two exhibited skin commensals. Following probing, 13 patients (43 per cent) exhibited bacteraemia of oral orig in. Viridans streptococci were the most common isolates (45 per cent). No significant correlations were found between bacteraemia and the se verity of periodontitis or extent of bleeding on probing. The results indicate that periodontal probing can cause bacteraemia in patients wi th periodontitis. It would be advisable for patients considered at ris k of developing infective endocarditis to receive antibiotic prophylax is for periodontal probing if they have radiographic evidence of perio dontitis.