Relationship of ascorbic acid levels of blood and gingival tissue with response to periodontal therapy

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Abstract
The effect of ascorbic acid megadoses on gingival clinical parameters and vitamin content of blood and gingival tissue was studied. 10 nondeficient individuals, carefully matched according to age, periodontal status, and oral hygiene level, were divided into 2 groups: one received 250 mg q.i.d. of ascorbic acid and the other a placebo. After 1 week on the tablet all patients were scaled and root planed and received oral hygiene instructions. Blood samples and clinical parameters were obtained at baseline and 2, 6, and 7 weeks after. A gingival biopsy was taken at week 6. Correlations between the clinical parameters and the ascorbic acid levels at the different time periods revealed no significant differences between the vitamin and the placebo groups, therefore suggesting that the use of megadoses of vitamin C in normal human subjects does not have a predictable or strong effect on the gingival response to initial therapy.