Relationship of oral microflora with oral health status in Parkinson's disease

Spec Care Dentist. 1994 Jul-Aug;14(4):164-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1754-4505.1994.tb01125.x.

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients report an increased craving for sweets, which may have an effect on microflora. We compared patients of PD who crave sweets with PD patients who do not. Age- and sex-matched control subjects were used, with 14 subjects in each group. A plaque sample was taken from tooth #18 with a curette and placed into RTF, homogenized, and plated onto selective and non-selective media. Microflora were expressed as % CFU's of total anaerobes. Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA and Newman-Keuls on log-transformed data. No statistical difference was observed among the three groups for lactobacilli, bacteroides, fusobacteria, veillonella, and actinomyces. S. mutans was lower in controls than in PD patients. Apparently, the craving for sweets in PD patients does not result in a significant increase in % of total anaerobes of certain microflora. PD patients showed a significant increase in mucositis compared with the control groups.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Bacteria, Anaerobic / isolation & purification
  • Behavior, Addictive / complications
  • Behavior, Addictive / etiology
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • DMF Index
  • Dental Caries / etiology*
  • Dental Plaque / microbiology*
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / complications
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / etiology*
  • Female
  • Gingivitis / etiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mouth Mucosa
  • Parkinson Disease / complications*
  • Parkinson Disease / physiopathology
  • Periodontal Index
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Stomatitis / etiology
  • Sucrose

Substances

  • Sucrose