Evaluation of a non-invasive, continuous measurement of periodontal blood flow in cats

Abstract

A non-invasive, continuous measurement of blood flow through the periodontal membrane in cats was attempted, using laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV). I examined whether the LDV readings reliably reflected the blood flow in the test region by simultaneous measurement of the periodontal membrane blood flow by the hydrogen clearance method. It was found that LDV allowed the recording of oscillatory changes in blood flow synchronous with cardiac rhythm. Blood flow was reduced by local adrenaline treatment. Percent changes in periodontal membrane blood flow, measured by LDV, correlated well with those measured by the hydrogen clearance method, indicating that the LDV readings reliably reflected actual blood flow.