Screening for periodontal diseases using salivary lactate dehydrogenase, hemoglobin level, and statistical modeling

Background/Purpose The intracellular enzymes present in the saliva have been studied as markers of periodontal disease. The aim of this study was to establish procedures for using salivary biomarkers as an alternative to the Community Periodontal Index (CPI) for community-based screening for periodontal disease. Materials and methods The study included 101 adults aged between 19 and 77 years who were undergoing treatment for periodontal disease. We applied analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to analyze the relationship between Community Periodontal Index (CPI) and levels of salivary factors for the 101 volunteers. Results Demographic characteristics, including age, number of remaining teeth, and smoking habits, showed a significant correlation with CPI. An overall correlation was shown between CP and both salivary lactate dehydrogenases (LD) and hemoglobin (Hb) levels, when analyzed using continuous demographic variables as covariates. Conclusion Results indicated that screening with statistical modeling can be an effective tool for detecting periodontal disease.