Use of eradication therapy in adjunction to periodontal therapy versus alone for treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections: a mini review

Approximately 50% of the human population on the Earth is estimated to be affected by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. which causes disease manifestations ranging from peptic ulcer disease to chronic gastritis to gastric cancer. It has been a struggle to contain this bacterium using conventional antibiotics due to rising antimicrobial resistance, which has made its eradication an even bigger challenge. Due to this major issue, scientists have ventured to use alternative approaches to bring about the eradication of H. pylori colonization. AIM: The main aim of this review was to update previous studies that investigated periodontal therapy’s effect on H. pylori eradication. METHOD: A systematic electronic search of the currently available research was conducted to identify all the relevant trials and original studies that compared the clinical effect of periodontal therapy in conjunction with eradication therapy. RESULTS: The newly updated review of the literature did not change the conclusion previously reached and instead reinforced the fact with more power and more recent studies that the addition of periodontal therapy to eradication therapy for H. pylori is superior to the use of eradication therapy alone for H. pylori. CORE TIP: The addition of periodontal therapy to the standard eradication therapy may be a clinically viable option and pave the way for tackling the H. pylori burden as well as aiding in the prevention of antimicrobial resistance to an extent, along with immensely increasing the efficacy of the standard eradication therapy for H. pylori that is currently in use around the world.