Evaluation of periodontal disease and oral inflammatory load in adults with special needs using oral neutrophil quantification.

The purpose of this study was to validate and assess the feasibility of using an assay of oral neutrophils to measure periodontal inflammation in uncooperative adults with special needs. Conventional periodontal measurements and neutrophil counts obtained from oral swabs were performed on patients having dental care under general anesthesia (GA) and at subsequent recall. Forty-nine patients were assessed under GA and 30 (61%) returned for follow-up. A high prevalence of gingival inflammation was found at baseline and oral neutrophil levels positively correlated with traditional periodontal parameters (p < 0.05). Neutrophils were acquired using swabs for 100% of patients examined at recall and a significant reduction in oral inflammatory load was noted after a single treatment session (p < 0.05), despite the persistence of poor oral hygiene and prolonged recall intervals. This study demonstrates that oral neutrophil quantification may serve as a novel and standardized method for clinical assessment of periodontal diseases in people with special needs.