title: Assessment of heat provocation tests on the human gingiva: the effect of periodontal disease and smoking.
abstract: Periodontal inflammation is associated with morphological changes in the blood vessels which may influence the regulation of gingival blood flow (GBF). Our aim was to adapt the heat provocation test to the human gingiva to assess vascular reactivity in periodontal inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  GBF was recorded by Laser Doppler Flowmetry before and after heat provocation in healthy volunteers (n = 50). Heat was generated either by warm saline or a halogen lamp. The latter method was also utilized for a heat test in non-smoking and smoking patients with periodontal inflammation. The circulatory parameters were correlated to the inflammatory marker, i.e. gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) production measured by Periotron.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Local application of heat caused a rapid, significant and transient increase in GBF regardless of the method used. The increase in the speed and not in the concentration of moving blood cells was responsible for increased GBF. Higher GCF values were correlated with increased peak flow, flux pulse amplitude and faster restoration of GBF after the test in non-smokers, but not in smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The heat test could be a valuable tool to check the vascular reactivity of gingival vessels. Moderate periodontal inflammation may facilitate gingival vascular responsiveness which can be suppressed by smoking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Semmelweis University , Budapest , Hungary.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Molnár
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lohinai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demeter
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mikecs
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tóth
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vág
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005881:Gingiva / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism; D005883:Gingival Crevicular Fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008833:Microcirculation; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Laser Doppler Flowmetry; blood flow; crevicular fluid; gingivitis; heat test; periodontitis; smoking