RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 The Effect of Periodontal Therapy on TNF-α, IL-6 and Metabolic Control in Type 2 Diabetics JF American Dental Hygienists Association JO J Dent Hyg FD American Dental Hygienists Association SP 7 OP 7 VO 80 IS 2 A1 Jennifer Talbert A1 John Elter A1 Heather L Jared A1 Steve Offenbacher A1 Janet Southerland A1 Rebecca S Wilder YR 2006 UL http://jdh.adha.org/content/80/2/7.abstract AB Purpose. This pilot study investigated if scaling and root planing (S&RP) was an effective intervention in reducing levels of inflammatory markers TNF-α and IL-6 in a type 2 diabetic population Methods. Twenty-five patients with type 2 diabetes, 18-64 years of age were enrolled having 4 or more sites with pocket depths ≥ 5mm and 2 or more sites with attachment loss ≥ 3mm. Participants received S&RP following collection of gingival crevicular fluid and serum which were analyzed for TNF-α and IL-6. After 3 months post-treatment levels were collected. Serum pre-and post-treatment levels were analyzed using a paired t test at a significance level of p≤0.05. Mean TNF-α was 1.7pg/ml at baseline and post-treatment was 4.0pg/ml. Mean IL-6 was 2.8pg/ml at baseline and post-treatment 6.0pg/ml. Results. Both mean TNF-α and IL-6 were increased following S&RP ; however, the observed increases were not statistically significant. While participants improved on periodontal measures following therapy, systemic measures of inflammation (TNF-α and IL-6) did not show the hypothesized reductions. Conclusion. Further studies are needed to determine effectiveness of S&RP on inflammatory mediators in a population with type 2 diabetes.