(HealthDay News) — Compared with nonusers, patients using proton pump inhibitors have a lower proportion of teeth with the elevated probing depths between teeth and gums that indicate periodontitis severity, according to a study published online Sept. 21 in Clinical and Experimental Dental Research.
Bhavneet K. Chawla, from the State University of New York, University at Buffalo, and colleagues retrospectively analyzed 1,093 periodontal patient records to understand the relationship between proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and periodontal disease.
The researchers found that 14% of teeth were associated with ≥6 mm probing depths among PPI users versus 24 percent for patients not using PPIs. Similarly, for ≥5 mm probing depths, proportions were lower among PPI users versus nonusers (27 versus 40%).
“The results suggest that use of PPIs is associated with a reduced proportion of teeth with elevated probing depths, implying that PPIs might play a role in reducing the severity of periodontitis,” the authors write. “Future prospective studies are indicated to further characterize that association and to assess whether PPIs have the potential to serve as an adjunct in periodontal therapy.”
