Introduction: Bacteremia frequently occurs after oral surgery and odontology procedures. Periodontitis may affect the incidence and bacterial spectrum of bacteremia. Periodontal disease may be a significant risk factor for the development of certain systemic diseases. This study has aimed to evaluate the frequency of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in the bloodstream following scaling and root planing.
Material and methods: Thirteen patients with generalized chronic periodontitis were included in the study. Two samples of peripheral blood were drawn for culture at different times: pre-treatment and immediately after odontology treatment (full-mouth scaling).
Results: None of the 13 patients had bacteremia before the procedures. Bacteremia after scaling occurred in 10/13 (76.9 %) of periodontitis patients. The anaerobic bacteria (Prevotella spp., Micromonas micros and Fusobacterium nucleatum) were the most predominant microorganism.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that periodontal procedures induce bacteremia and may represent risk of developing systemic complications. The use of antibiotic prophylaxis is crucial for its prevention.