The relationship between place BANA reactivity and clinical parameters in subjects with mental disabilities

The purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether subjects institutionalized with mental retardation have a relationship between pertodontal clinical parameters and the presence of the BANA‐positlve pertodontal pathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Bacteroides forsythus In their subgingival plaques. Fifty Institutionalized subjects (25 patients with Down syndrome and 25 subjects with mental retardation) were matched with respect to age and sex. Pertodontal clinical parameters (Bleeding on Probing, BOP; Papillary Bleeding Score, PBS; and Probing Depth, PD) were obtained from 6 reference teeth (3, 8, 14, 19, 24, 30). In addition, subgingival plaque samples taken from the same 6 teeth were analyzed for the presence of the BANA‐posltlve species, by means of the chairslde BANA test. In both the patients with Down syndrome and the group with mental retardation, the presence of BANA‐posltlve plaques was significantly associated with bleeding on probing (p < 0.05) and increased probing depth (p < 0.01, Chlsquare). Analysis of these data indicated that the BANA test could be used in combination with clinical criteria to diagnose a perlodontopathy anaerobic infection in Institutionalized subjects. This study was supported by FAPESP, a Brazilian Research Foundation (Grant no. 96/3414–3).