Objectives: The objective of this study is to analyse the correlation of our own design of oral health scale (grades 0 and 1-better oral health vs. grades 2 and 3-poorer oral health) with the salivary microbiota.
Patients and methods: The oral health scale we elaborated was evaluated in 100 adults (25 patients from each global oral health grade). Saliva samples collected from these patients were analysed using microbiological culture techniques, determining the presence/absence and the concentrations of some odontopathogens and periodontopathogens.
Results: In comparison with the global oral health grades 0-1, the grades 2-3 presented significantly higher values for the presence of odontopathogens (78 vs. 38 %; Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus spp. and Actinomyces spp.) and periodontopathogens (100 vs. 90 %; Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Campylobacter spp., Fusobacterium spp. and Prevotella gingivalis). In comparison with the grades 0-1, the grades 2-3 presented significantly higher values for the concentrations (CFU/mL log10) of facultative anaerobes, strict anaerobes, odontopathogens (S. mutans, Lactobacillus spp. and Actinomyces spp.) and periodontopathogens (A. actinomycetemcomitans, Capnocytophaga spp., Campylobacter spp. and Fusobacterium spp.).
Conclusion: Our new global oral health scale shows a positive correlation with the detection and quantification of certain odontopathogens and periodontopathogens present in the saliva, confirming their possible infectious potential.
Clinical relevance: Our own design of oral health scale could be particularly useful for the epidemiological study of different populations, the evaluation of the influence of oral health on the development of certain systemic diseases as well as the analysis of inter- and intra-individual variability of the oral microbiota in relation to the different grades of the oral health scale.