The Effect of Aspirin on Bleeding on Probing in Patients with Gingivitis

Statement of Problems: Bleeding on probing is widely used for diagnosis and screening of periodontal diseases، evaluation of treatment outcome، and determination of the development of the disease. The presence of bleeding on probing (BOP) is considered as the sign of gingival inflammation، and lack of bleeding is the sign of the gingival health. Aspirin has been suggested as an effective factor on increasing the amount of BOP that may result in inappropriate clinical diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of aspirin on BOP in patients with gingivitis. An experimental، double blind cross-over clinical trial was performed on 50 patients. The patients were divided into case and control groups. The amount of BOP was recorded on the first day in both groups. Coded capsules containing aspirin (100mg) or placebo were randomly given to the patients to be used one per day for one week. A wash out period of 7 days was allocated between the use of aspirin and placebo. The amount of BOP was recorded at the end of days 7 and 14 in each group. The amount of BOP in the case and control groups at the base line was 49% ±17 and 47%±15، (p =0. 3) and on the 7th day، it was 49% ±18 and 50%±21 (p =0. 7)، respectively. On the 14th day the BOP in the case and control groups showed to be 46±19 and 49±17 (p = 0. 9) receptively. No statistically difference was found to be in different periods of the study. Intake of low dose aspirin (100mg) for 7 days in individuals with gingivitis does not increase the amount of BOP as compared with placebo.