Study participants
A total of 14 participants 3 MFS surgery patients (1 female and 2 males, mean age: 65.3 years); 4 MFS post-surgery patients (2 females and 2 males, mean age: 43.8 years), and 7 healthy volunteers (6 females and 1 male, mean age: 46.1 years), were included in this study (Table 1). Oral photographs indicated that both the MFS surgery group (Fig. 2A) and MFS post-surgery group (Fig. 2B) subjects had a high palate and malocclusion. Examination of All of the study participants were started at November 2018 for their periodontal condition at the first visit, followed by a reassessment, and received SPT up to March 2020. Visits to the clinic were not possible for the 5 months prior to that date due to the COVID 19 pandemic.
Table 1
| MFS surgery | MFS post-surgery | Healthy |
Subject number | 3 | 4 | 7 |
Male/Female | 2(Male),1(Female) | 2(male),2(female) | 1(male),6(female) |
Age | 65.3 ± 10.6 | 43.8 ± 1.5 | 46.1 ± 17.0 |
(A) Oral photographs taken at the first visit in the MFS patients with a planned aortic surgery. (B) Oral photographs taken at the first visit in the MFS post-surgery group.
Saliva Examinations
To investigate the caries risk in the study population, salivary examinations including saliva volume, buffering capacity score, and bacterial content score were conducted at the first visit, reassessment, and 6-month follow-up period. No significant difference was observed in the saliva volume (MFS surgery, 9.3 ± 3.0 ml; MFS post-surgery, 4.8 ± 2.9 ml; Healthy, 6.1 ± 3.6 ml) or the buffer capacity score (MFS surgery, 0.6 ± 1.2; MFS post-surgery, 1 ± 0.8; Healthy: 1 ± 0.8) at the first visit. Scores for S.mutans (MFS surgery, 2.7 ± 0.6; MFS post-surgery, 2 ± 0.8; Healthy, 2.1 ± 1.1) and Lactobacillus (MFS surgery, 1.3 ± 0.6; MFS post-surgery, 1 ± 1.4; Healthy, 1.6 ± 1.1) also showed no significant differences (Table 2). These data were also obtained at the reassessment and follow-up period for each group and again no significant differences were found (Table 2).
Table 2
Saliva examination results
| MFS surgery | MFS post-surgery | Healthy |
Volume (ml / 5min) | first visit | 9.3 ± 3.0 | 4.8 ± 2.9 | 19.7 ± 10.7 |
reassessment | 10 ± 3.4 | 18.3 ± 7.4 | 10.4 ± 8.6 |
follow up | 9.3 ± 2.0 | 25.7 ± 14.5 | 16.7 ± 23.0 |
Buffer capacity score | first visit | 0.6 ± 1.2 | 33.3 ± 30.8 | 19.7 ± 10.7 |
reassessment | 0.6 ± 1.2 | 18.3 ± 7.4 | 10.4 ± 8.6 |
follow up | 0.7 ± 1.2 | 25.7 ± 14.5 | 16.7 ± 23.0 |
S.Mutans score | first visit | 2.7 ± 0.6 | 33.3 ± 30.8 | 19.7 ± 10.7 |
reassessment | 2 ± 0 | 18.3 ± 7.4 | 10.4 ± 8.6 |
follow up | 2 ± 0 | 25.7 ± 14.5 | 16.7 ± 23.0 |
Lactobaccillus score | first visit | 1.3 ± 0.6 | 33.3 ± 30.8 | 19.7 ± 10.7 |
reassessment | 1 ± 1.0 | 18.3 ± 7.4 | 10.4 ± 8.6 |
follow up | 0.7 ± 0.6 | 25.7 ± 14.5 | 16.7 ± 23.0 |
Periodontal Examinations
To investigate the risk of periodontal disease, periodontal examinations including plaque control record, BOP, and PISA tests were also conducted at the first visit, reassessment, and 6-month follow-up. No significant differences were observed in the mean plaque control record at the first visit (MFS surgery, 22.3 ± 6.9%; MFS post-surgery, 33.3 ± 30.8%; Healthy, 19.7 ± 10.7%), reassessment (19.7 ± 8.7% vs. 18.3 ± 7.4% vs. 10.4 ± 8.6%, respectively) or 6-month follow-up (25.7 ± 9.8% vs. 25.7 ± 14.5% vs. 16.7 ± 23.0%, respectively) (Table 3). In all groups, the plaque control record decreased from the first visit to the reassessment and increased slightly from the reassessment to the follow-up period.
Table 3
Plaque control record results
| | MFS surgery | MFS post-surgery | Healthy |
Plaque control record | first visit | 22.3 ± 6.9 | 33.3 ± 30.8 | 19.7 ± 10.7 |
reassessment | 19.7 ± 8.7 | 18.3 ± 7.4 | 10.4 ± 8.6 |
follow up | 25.7 ± 9.8 | 25.7 ± 14.5 | 16.7 ± 23.0 |
The MFS surgery patients showed a higher BOP and PISA than the subjects in the MFS post-surgery or Healthy groups (Figs. 3D and 4D) and these were found to be decreased significantly from the first visit to the reassessment after the initial treatment (Figs. 3A and 4A). After the reassessment however, the MFS surgery patients were unable to visit a clinic for SPT due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Both the BOP and PISA scores were increased significantly from the reassessment to the follow-up in the MFS surgery group (Figs. 3A and 4A). By contrast, there was no significant differences found in the BOP and PISA data obtained at the first visit, reassessment or follow-up between the MFS post-surgery, and Healthy groups (Figs. 3E, F, and 4E, F). In addition, decreases in both the BOP and PISA were apparent from the first visit to the reassessment and follow-up in MFS post-surgery, and Healthy groups even though visits could not be made the clinic after the reassessments (Figs. 3B, C, and 4B, C).
Changes in the oral condition of the MFS surgery group subjects are indicated in Fig. 5. Patient 1 showed no characteristic features of periodontal disease at the first visit but displayed gingival swelling at the mandibular anterior teeth at the reassessment. Notably however, the gingival condition in this subject had almost recovered to normal at the follow-up stage. Gingival swelling and redness around the maxillary anterior teeth were evident in MFS surgery Patient 2 at the first visit, but these were no longer detectable at the reassessment or follow-up. Patient 3 in this group exhibited no characteristic periodontitis features at any of the three examination stages.
Oral photographs indicating changes over time for each patient in the MFS surgery group. Swelling and redness of the gingiva were evident in Patient 1 at the reassessment examination (arrowhead) and in Patient 2 at the first visit (arrowhead).
Cardiac Function
We next evaluated the cardiac function status during periodontal treatment at the first visit, reassessment, and follow-up period in the MFS surgery and post-surgery groups using the established LVDd and EF indicators (Table 4) .All of the MFS surgery patients showed improvement in the LVDd and EF values at the reassessment and follow-up period compared to the first visit. The MFS post-surgery group cases showed improvement in cardiac function during the whole period of periodontal treatment.
Table 4
Status of cardiac function during periodontal treatment
| | | *LVDd(mm) | *EF(%) |
MFS surgery | Patient1 | first visit | 54 | 57 |
reassessment | 51 | 67 |
follow up | 49 | 73 |
Patient2 | first visit | 58 | 66 |
reassessment | 56 | 67 |
follow up | 56 | 65 |
Patient3 | first visit | 52 | 66 |
reassessment | 42 | 66 |
follow up | - | - |
MFS post-surgery | Patient4 | first visit | 48 | 65 |
reassessment | 46 | 71 |
follow up | 58 | 66 |
Patient5 | first visit | 55 | 62 |
reassessment | 52 | 57 |
follow up | 54 | 65 |
Patient6 | first visit | 55 | 67 |
reassessment | 54 | 68 |
follow up | 53 | 67 |
Patient7 | first visit | 46 | 69 |
reassessment | 44 | 61 |
follow up | 44 | 66 |
*Standard value of Left Ventricular end-Diastolic diameter (LVDd) and Ejection Fraction(EF) were 41〜52mm or 59〜71% respectively.