13 June 2022

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The correlation between the quality of oral hygiene and oral HPV infection in adults

Simona Chirico

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Aim of the study was to detect a possible association between the objectively determined quality of oral hygiene and the presence of oral HPV.  

MATERIALS AND METHODS 
In this perspective analysis, 187 persons (aged 18-50) were involved. For each patient it was determined the Approximal Plaque Index (API) as a marker of oral hygiene quality, and the gingival blooding index (GBI) after probing, as a marker of active gingivitis. After the data collection, patients were included in an oral hygiene program, consisting in patients’ education regarding oral health and professional oral hygiene, repeated in individually determined intervals. In few days after the first professional oral hygiene, mucosal specimens were collected to detect the presence of HPV in its various types, some associated with benign neoplasia (low risk HPV), some having cancerogenic effects (high risk HPV). The collected data were statistically processed and analysed.     

RESULTS 
There is a strong positive correlation between the quality of oral hygiene and the presence of oral HPV infection. The more the API index and the GBI index increase, the more the relationship with the prevalence of HPV of any type is strong.  

CONCLUSIONS
The present investigation demonstrate the positive relation between the quality of oral hygiene and the presence of oral HPV infection, based on objective measurements and considering many HPV types.  

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
As the HPV infection is the results of oral wounds that can lead the virus to the basal layer of the mucosal epithelium, and microscopic lesions are inevitable in a gingival inflammation state, it can be assumed that improvement of oral hygiene may prevent oral HPV infection. As a consequence, good oral hygiene may contribute to oral cancer prevention.

For additional informations: 
The correlation between the quality of oral hygiene and oral HPV infection in adults: a prospective cross-sectional study