Periodontal health in a longitudinal French cohort of people with Parkinson’s disease

Motor impairment associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD) can hinder daily oral hygiene. This study aimed to assess the microbiological and clinical evolution of periodontal health in people with PD. This prospective cohort study included participants with PD. Clinical oral health data and microbiological samples were collected at baseline and after a follow-up period (median 7 months [range: 3–21]). Forty people with PD were recruited (35% female; median [Q1–Q3] age: 65.3 [57.9–72.8] years). The participants had good hygiene habits; however, no significant changes were observed in clinical parameters, including an increase in the proportion with a ‘good’ plaque index (+ 21 points, p = 0.239) and the reduction in the frequency of periodontal pockets > 6 mm (from 20% to 3%, p = 0.131). In contrast, using mixed-effects models accounting for follow-up time and intra-individual variability, a significant reduction in Treponema denticola bacterial load was observed (93% reduction in CFU/mL; 95% CI: 69%–98%; adjusted p = 0.012). Clinical oral hygiene parameters remained stable, while a significant change was observed in one microbiological parameter. These findings require confirmation in larger studies to better define oral care support for PD patients. Trial registration : ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03827551, registered on January 31, 2019, (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03827551).