Assessment of the Salivary Total Antioxidant Capacity of Non-Smokers with and without Periodontitis

Introduction: Periodontitis is a disease that is characterized by the destruction of the gum and bone structures that support the teeth due to pathogenic bacteria colonizing the surface of the teeth. The consistent bacterial infections result in an excess of free radicals, which can exhaust antioxidant defense systems. Studies investigating the difference in antioxidant levels between periodontitis patients and periodontally healthy patients show contradictory results, which emphasizes the need for more research. This pilot study aimed to determine the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in the saliva of non-smokers with and without periodontitis in Jamaica. Materials and Methods: Fourteen patients with periodontitis and fourteen patients without periodontitis were recruited from the UWI Mona Dental Polyclinic in Kingston, Jamaica. The TAC of the collected saliva samples was assessed using the Cayman Chemical Antioxidant Assay Kit. Results: Patients with periodontitis exhibited a slightly lower mean TAC (0.647 ± 0.404 mM) compared with periodontally healthy controls (0.669 ± 0.352 mM), indicating a minor reduction in total antioxidant capacity; however, this difference was not statistically significant (> 0.05). Conclusion: The present study indicates that the antioxidant defense system is not compromised in periodontitis patients; however, limitations such as the treatment that periodontitis patients were undergoing may have affected the results, thus emphasizing the need for further studies of this kind to be conducted.