Helicobacter pylori in dental plaque and gastric mucosa

Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Helicobacter pylori in both dental plaque and gastricmucus. Study design Dental scaling hand instruments were used to collect supragingival and subgingival dental plaque from 81 dentate participants. Denture plaque was obtained from the fitting surfaces of dentures from 41 edentulous patients. Gastric mucus from gastric mucosa of antrum and body of stomach were collected from all 122 participants (92% white) with a soft gastroscopic brush. These samples were dispersed in modified urea broth and normal saline solution before being inoculated onto selective Skirrow's agar and incubated in a microerophilic atmosphere for culturing H. pylori. Results Dental plaque from all dentate participants was negative for H. pylori culture. Only one 80-year-old edentulous patient had positive H. pylori culture in both gastric mucus and denture plaque. Conclusions Although dental plaque has a mixed flora that may act as a reservior for gastric reinfection, dental plaque could not be implicated as the major reservoir of H. pylori for gastric reinfection.