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Abstract

Active periodontal disease is characterized by marked destruction of collagen in periodontally-involved tissues. Biochemical characterization of the disease is complicated as it is an episodic disorder that is believed to cycle through periods of high activity and quiescence. The first part of the study focused on the measurements and analysis of volatile sulphur compounds (VSC) collected at gingival sulci. Their concentrations in mouth air correlate with the severity of the disease. The second part was devoted to the evaluation of breakdown products of collagen metabolism found in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in relation to periodontal disease. A novel method and device was developed for collection and analysis of volatile compounds from specific gingival crevice sites. It demonstrated that volatile sulphur compound profiles of crevicular air differ from that of mouth air. It showed that total sulphur content of either inflamed or deep (PD z4 mm) periodontal sites was significantly higher than the non inflamed or shallow (PD<4 mm) sites (p