PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of periodontal disease on the biochemical parameters of the saliva, including salivary flow rate, pH, total protein, alkaline phosphatase activity and urea concentration, in individuals with chronic periodontitis. METHODS: Forty subjects were allocated into two groups: twenty subjects without periodontal disease (control group) and twenty subjects with chronic periodontitis (test group). Plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) were obtained by a previously trained and calibrated clinical examiner. Saliva from both groups was collected for analysis of its biochemical parameters. The Student's t-test and correlation coefficient (Pearson) were used at a 5% level of significance. RESULTS: The results showed alterations in the alkaline phosphatase activity, urea concentration and total protein in the subjects of the test group compared to the control group (P<0.05). However, there was no correlation between the clinical periodontal parameters and the salivary parameters (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that chronic periodontitis can affect the composition of the saliva and that analysis of the salivary parameters can be useful as an additional exam for the diagnosis of periodontal disease.
Dental plaque; periodontitis; saliva; alkaline phosphatase; urea
