Correlation of Blood and Salivary pH Levels in Healthy, Gingivitis, and Periodontitis Patients before and after Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy

Periodontitis is an infectious illness which leads to the inflammation of protective tissues around the teeth and the continuous loss of alveolar bone and conjunctive tissue. Biomarker analysis in serum and saliva helps in the evaluation of disease progression and activity. It is also established that every inflammatory change along with resultant damage of tissues ends up in altered pH values in the fluids and tissues. Aim: To correlate the connection of pH levels in both blood as well as saliva in healthy, periodontitis, and gingivitis patients. Materials and Methods: The current research involved 145 subjects amidst the age of 20 and 55 years. The subjects were split into three different groups: healthy (Group A), gingivitis (Group B), and finally chronic periodontitis (Group C). The recording of clinical parameters was done by gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD), and plaque index (PI). pH of saliva and blood was analyzed with the help of digital single electrode pH meter. Subjects have gone through scaling and root planning (SRP) coupled with the instructions of oral hygiene. They were recalled post 4 weeks, and saliva and blood samples were gathered for analyzing pH. Results: Clinical parameters GI and PI were statistically important in both group C as well as group B post SRP. A crucial change has been observed in attachment levels (AL) and PD in the case of periodontitis group post SRP. The difference in the salivary pH values were significant between group B vs. C and A vs. C before the treatment because the values for group C were acidic, whereas in groups B and A the pH was alkaline. After the treatment, the values were still significant because the pH has become more alkaline compared to preoperative value in both group B and C. Saliva's pH levels have demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in group C post SRP. Conclusion: Salivary pH levels and blood evidently became alkaline in the group C patients post SRP and there is a positive correlation between them and the clinical parameters.