Statement of the problem: The increase in white blood cell count (WBC) and platelet count due to systemic inflammation and infection is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. These parameters increase in periodontal disease. A decrease in WBC and platelet counts by periodontal therapy may decrease the risk for cardiovascular disease.
Purpose of the study: The present study is a treatment intervention model to investigate the effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy on total leucocyte count (TLC), differential leucocyte count (DLC) and platelet count in patients with chronic periodontitis.
Materials and methods: Thirty systemically healthy patients were included in the study. Probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), bleeding on probing (BOP), TLC, DLC, platelet count, bleeding time (BT) and clotting time (CT) were evaluated at baseline and at two weeks after phase I therapy.
Results: A statistically highly significant decrease in the percentage of sites exhibiting BOP was observed, i.e., from 78.1% at baseline to 18.1% two weeks postoperatively (p = 0.000). There was also a statistically significant decrease in TLC from 7595/mm3 at baseline to 6690/mm3 two weeks following phase I therapy (p = 0.02). There was also a statistically highly significant decrease in platelet count from 2.1 lac/mm3 preoperatively to 1.9 lac/mm3 at two weeks postoperatively (p = 0.003).
Conclusion: The present study depicts the importance of periodontal therapy to reduce the TLC and platelet count, thereby possibly decreasing the risk for the development of cardiovascular disease by lowering the established risk factors for periodontal atherosclerosis.