Bacteremia frequently occurs after dental treatment. Periodontal inflammation may influence the incidence, magnitude and duration of bacteremia. The presence of circulating oral bacteria or bacterial components may induce cytokine synthesis in blood cells, which may contribute to the development or exacerbation of atherosclerosis. The present study tested the hypothesis that bacteremia occurring after scaling in periodontitis patients results in altered plasma levels of cytokines. Twenty periodontitis patients were subjected to scaling. Blood samples at baseline and at 0.5, 10 and 30 minutes postscaling were examined for bacteremia whereas baseline and eight-hour postscaling blood samples were examined for the levels of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-12p70. IL-6 levels were significantly increased eight hours after scaling, while IL-8 was significantly decreased. No systematic changes occurred in the levels of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, IL-10 and IL-2p70. IL-6 levels may be increased while IL-8 may be decreased due to scaling, which may have implications for general health.