Several authors throughout the literature have suggested that salivary HBsAG may be derived from the leakage of serum containing HBsAG into the mouth. This study will relate periodontal health and gingival crevicular fluid flow with the quantitative presence of HBsAG in the pooled saliva. Patients will be selected that are HBsAG carriers and confirmed for the continued presence of the antigen by blood testing. From this carrier population, 10 patients will be utilized in the study that have gingival inflammation, and an additional 10 HBsAG carrier patients will not receive therapy but be monitored for cyclic changes of HBsAG in their blood and saliva. All non-control patients will receive a debridment and continued oral hygiene instruction over a six appointment, 10 week span. At each appointment, the crevicular fluid flow will be monitored with the Periotron and a saliva sample will be analyzed by R.I.A. enzyme methods for HBsAG. McNemar's Test will be used to evaluate periodontal health and Student's T test to relate crevicular flow rate and salivary pooled HBsAG content.
