Comparison of two full‐mouth approaches in the treatment of peri‐implant mucositis: a pilot study

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that an additional full‐mouth disinfection results in a greater clinical and microbiological improvement compared with sole mechanical debridement within one session in patients with peri‐implant mucositis and treated chronic periodontitis. Material and methods: The study included 13 partially edentulous patients (mean age 51.5 years) with treated chronic periodontitis and 36 dental implants with mucositis (bleeding on probing and/or a gingival index ≥1 at least at one site at baseline, absence of peri‐implant bone loss during the last 2 years before baseline). After randomized assignment to a test and a control group, patients received a one‐stage full‐mouth scaling with or without chlorhexidine. Clinical and microbiological examination was performed at baseline, after 1, 2, 4 and 8 months. Additional microbial samples were taken 24 h after treatment. Microbiological analysis was performed by real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Both treatment modalities resulted in significant reductions of probing depth at implant sites after 8 months, with no significant group differences. The bacteria at implants and teeth could be reduced in every group 24 h after treatment; however, this reduction was not significant after 8 months. Conclusions: Both treatment modalities led to an improvement of the clinical parameters and a temporary reduction of the microflora at implants with mucositis, but without significant inter‐group differences after 8 months. To cite this article:
Thöne‐Mühling M, Swierkot K, Nonnenmacher C, Mutters R, Flores‐de‐Jacoby L, Mengel R. Comparison of two full‐mouth approaches in the treatment of peri‐implant mucositis: a pilot study.
Clin. Oral Impl. Res. 21 , 2010; 504–512.
doi: 10.1111/j.1600‐0501.2009.01861.x     

Scaling and Root Planing per Quadrant Versus One‐Stage Full‐Mouth Disinfection: Assessment of the Impact of Chronic Periodontitis Treatment on Quality of Life — A Clinical Randomized,Controlled Trial

Background: There are few randomized, controlled clinical trials about the effect of non‐surgical periodontal treatment on oral health–related quality of life (OHRQL). This study aims to compare the effects of two different forms of non‐surgical periodontal therapy, scaling and root planing (SRP) per quadrant and one‐stage full‐mouth disinfection (FMD), on periodontal clinical parameters and OHRQL of patients with chronic periodontitis. Methods: In this randomized, controlled clinical trial, the questionnaires Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) and Oral Health and Quality of Life (OHQoL) were given to 90 patients divided into two groups: SRP (n = 45) and FMD (n = 45). Periodontal clinical parameters recorded included probing depth, clinical attachment level, plaque index, and gingival index. For statistical analysis, χ² test, Fisher exact test, Mann‐Whitney U test, and Wilcoxon test were used. Intention‐to‐treat analyses were performed at T0 (baseline) for periodontal clinical parameters, T1 (30 days after treatment) for questionnaires, and T2 (180 days after treatment) for both. Results: No significant differences were identified between the SRP and FMD groups in regard to OHQoL and OIDP scores when comparing the data of T1 and T2. Conclusion: Patients treated by both SRP and FMD showed improvement in all periodontal clinical parameters and OHRQL, with no significant differences between treatment groups.     

Effect of Hydrosoluble Chlorine–Mediated Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy on Clinical Parameters and Cytokine Profile in Ligature‐Induced Periodontitis in Dogs

Background: Recently, a hydrosoluble chlorine composed of sodium salts chlorine e6, chlorine p6, and purpurine‐5 has been shown to be a promising photosensitizer in antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT). The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of adjunctive application of hydrosoluble chlorine–mediated aPDT compared with scaling and root planing (SRP) alone on clinical parameters and cytokine levels in gingival crevicular fluid of dogs with experimental periodontitis. Methods: Periodontal disease was induced by placing silk ligatures around both maxillary and mandibular teeth. After establishment of attachment loss, full‐mouth SRP was performed in all dogs. One day after SRP, each quadrant randomly received one of the following treatment modalities: hydrosoluble chlorine plus diode laser (wavelength 662 nm, power 100 mW, continuous mode, time of irradiation 20 seconds), hydrosoluble chlorine alone, laser alone, or no adjunctive treatment. The same adjunctive procedure was repeated 1 week later. Clinical parameters including periodontal probing depth, clinical attachment level, and bleeding on probing, as well as crevicular levels of interleukin‐1β and tumor necrosis factor‐α, were evaluated at baseline, at 3 weeks, and at 3 months after treatment. Results: After both 3 weeks and 3 months, all treatment groups showed significant improvement in all clinical and immunologic parameters (P <0.001). No significant differences were found between the four groups with regard to the measured parameters (P >0.05). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, adjunctive use of hydrosoluble chlorine–mediated aPDT with the current setting has no additional effect on the clinical parameters or proinflammatory cytokine levels in ligature‐induced periodontitis.     

Prospective clinical study evaluating the long-time adjunctive use of chlorhexidine after one-stage full-mouth SRP

Abstract: Objectives: Scaling and root planing are the causal procedure in the treatment of periodontitis. Many attempts have been made to improve the outcome. The aim of this study was to verify the influence of the extended use of chlorhexidine after one‐stage full‐mouth (FM) SRP in patients with chronic periodontitis on the clinical outcome after 3 months. Methods: Eighty‐one patients with pockets ≥5 mm were treated by FM. All patients rinsed additionally with 0.2% chlorhexidine (CHX) twice daily over 3 months. Plaque index, bleeding on probing, probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) were recorded at baseline and after 1 and 3 months. Results: In the test group, all variables were significantly improved after 1 and 3 months. Mean reduction of PD and CAL gain was 2.25 ± 1.08 and 1.67 ± 1.08 after 1 and 2.99 ± 1.11 and 2.33 ± 1.31 after 3 months respectively. Conclusions: Over 3 months of extended use of CHX mouth rinse after SRP showed slightly but statistically significant better results.     

Clinical outcomes of quadrant root planing versus full-mouth root planing

OBJECTIVES: To determine the clinical effects of full mouth compared with quadrant wise scaling and root planing. METHOD: Twenty patients with chronic periodontitis (> or = 2 teeth per quadrant with probing pocket depths (PPD) > or = 5 mm and bleeding on probing (BOP) were randomized into a test group treated in two sessions with subgingival scaling and root planing within 24 h (full-mouth root planing (FMRP)) and a control group treated quadrant by quadrant in four sessions in intervals of 1 week (quadrant root planing (QRP)). PPD, relative attachment level (RAL) and BOP were recorded at baseline, 3 and 6 months. RESULTS: Analysing first quadrant data, in moderately deep pockets (5 mm < or = PPD < 7 mm) there was no evidence for a difference (FMRP-QRP) between both groups for PPD reduction (mean: -0.128 mm; CI: [-0.949, 0.693]; p=0.747), RAL gain (mean: 0.118 mm; CI: [-0.763, 1.000]; p=0.781), and BOP reduction (mean: -20.1%; CI: [-44.3, 4.2]; p=0.099). Likewise, no significant differences between treatments were found for initially deep pockets (PPD > or = 7 mm), neither for first quadrant nor for whole mouth data. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study demonstrated equally favourable clinical results following both treatment modalities.     

A Randomized,Double‐Masked Clinical Trial Comparing Four Periodontitis Treatment Strategies: 1‐Year Clinical Results

Background: The benefit of full‐mouth disinfection (FDIS) over traditional scaling and root planing (SRP) remains equivocal, and it is not known whether the use of adjunctive antibiotics may enhance the effect of FDIS. The aim of the present study is to test the hypothesis that there is no difference in the 1‐year clinical outcome of therapy among groups of patients treated with conventional SRP performed over 2 to 3 weeks, or same‐day FDIS, with or without adjunctive metronidazole. Methods: A total of 184 patients with moderate‐to‐severe periodontitis were randomly allocated to one of four treatment groups: 1) FDIS+metronidazole; 2) FDIS+placebo; 3) SRP+metronidazole; or 4) SRP+placebo. Recordings of plaque, bleeding on probing, probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment level (CAL) were carried out in four sites per tooth at baseline and at 3 and 12 months after treatment. Results: No differences were observed in the mean CAL or PD values between the four experimental groups at baseline and 3 or 12 months post‐treatment. All four groups displayed significant improvements in all parameters. However, using absence of pockets ≥5 mm as the criterion for treatment success, the two groups receiving adjunctive metronidazole performed significantly better than the two placebo groups. Conclusion: Metronidazole had a significant, adjunctive effect in patients with a metronidazole‐sensitive subgingival microbiota on the clinical parameters of CAL, PD, and absence of pockets ≥5 mm.     

Systemic ornidazole as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal therapy in the treatment of chronic periodontitis: a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Background: The purpose of this clinical trial is to evaluate the adjunctive clinical effects of the systemic administration of ornidazole (ORN) in the full‐mouth scaling and root planing (SRP) of individuals with moderate‐to‐advanced chronic periodontitis. Methods: Fifty‐eight individuals presenting ≥12 teeth with probing depth (PD) ≥4 mm were selected. All participants were instructed on strict oral hygiene measures and were advised to use 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthwash for 1 week before being allocated to two groups. Thirty participants were randomly assigned to full‐mouth SRP + placebo (control group), and 28 participants were assigned to full‐mouth SRP + ORN (test group). The clinical outcomes evaluated were plaque index, gingival index, clinical attachment level (CAL), and PD. Results: Fifty participants could be evaluated by ≤6 months. At 6 months, the test group had greater mean reduction (2.84 mm) in PD compared to the control group (0.84 mm) (P <0.05), and there was also a greater mean CAL reduction (2.92 mm) in the test group compared to the control group (0.92 mm) (P <0.05). Conclusion: The systemic use of ORN, when used in conjunction with initial periodontal treatment consisting of SRP in adults with periodontitis, achieves significantly better clinical results than initial periodontal treatment alone.     

Hand instrumentation versus ultrasonic debridement in the treatment of chronic periodontitis: a randomized clinical and microbiological trial

Aim: To compare the effectiveness of scaling and root planing (SRP) with the use of hand instruments to that of non-surgical treatment with the use of an ultrasonic device, using clinical and microbiological criteria.
Material and Methods: Thirty-three patients with chronic periodontitis participated in this randomized-controlled clinical trial divided into two groups. Patients in the control group received SRP with hand instruments, whereas patients in the test group received ultrasonic debridement (UD). Clinical recordings concerning probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level, plaque index and gingival bleeding index were performed at baseline, 3 and 6 months after baseline. Subgingival samples were analysed using the "checkerboard" DNA–DNA hybridization technique for Porphyromonas gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Tannerella forsythia and Treponema denticola .
Results: Both treatments resulted in a significant improvement in all clinical recordings. Three months after treatment, a numerical decrease was observed for P. gingivalis, T. forsythia and T. denticola in both groups, which was statistically significant only for P. gingivalis ( p <0.05). Inter-group differences were observed at 6 months for T. forsythia and T. denticola ( p <0.05), favouring SRP.
Conclusions: Both treatment modalities provided comparable clinical results in the treatment of chronic periodontitis.     

The significance of prior mechanical therapy for changes of periodontal status achieved by local delivery of a doxycyclinehyclate containing gel

AIM: The purpose of this retrospective analysis was to examine what effect, if any, the time elapsed between an individual's last episode of scaling and root planing and subsequent treatment with a sustained-release doxycycline hyclate gel (DH) alone or scaling and root planing alone (SRP) would have upon adult periodontitis. METHODS: A total of 207 subjects were included in the DH group and 210 patients in the SRP group. Periodontitis was defined as those sites which presented with pocket depths > or =5 mm and exhibited bleeding upon probing. In both DH and SRP groups, 3 sub-groups of subjects were identified according to their last episode of scaling and root planing prior to the study baseline: within 2 to 6 months, >6 but < or =12 months, and one or more times in their life but not within the last 12 months. Each study site was treated twice over a 9-month study period, once at baseline and again at 4 months. Data from the study sites at 4, 6, and 9 months were then evaluated for changes in probing depth, clinical attachment level, and bleeding upon probing. RESULTS: At the 9-month evaluation, all sub-groups in the DH and SRP treatment arms presented with improvement in the measured clinical parameters, as compared to baseline. No significant differences were observed in the measured periodontal indices among the study sites between the three sub-groups for either treatment. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the time interval since the last episode of scaling and root planing had no observable effect on the results achieved when treating periodontitis sites with locally delivered doxycycline hyclate alone or scaling and root planing alone. The treatment of periodontitis sites with locally delivered doxycycline hyclate resulted in clinical improvement comparable to scaling and root planing irrespective of the patient's prophylaxis frequency.     

Do periodontopathogens disappear after full‐mouth tooth extraction?

Aim: To monitor the intra‐oral microbiological changes after full‐mouth extraction using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Material and Methods: Nine patients with severe, aggressive periodontitis, for whom a full‐mouth tooth extraction was the only remaining treatment option were recruited. Before and 6 months after extraction, microbial samples were obtained (tongue, saliva and subgingival plaque) and analysed by qPCR. Results: The elimination of subgingival niches, by extraction of all natural teeth, resulted in a 3‐log reduction of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Tannerella forsythia, and more modest reductions of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Prevotella intermedia. However, the detection frequencies of these periodontopathogens in saliva and on the tongue remained unchanged after full‐mouth tooth extraction. Conclusion: In contrast to what has been believed so far, full‐mouth tooth extraction does not result in eradication of all periodontopathogens but only in a significant reduction. The clinical consequences of this observation remain speculative.     

一次性全口龈下刮治和根面平整术治疗慢性牙周炎的近期疗效评价

目的：探讨一次性全口龈下刮治和根面平整术（full-mouth scaling and root planning,FM-SRP）治疗慢性牙周炎的效果,并与常规的分象限刮治（quadrant scaling and root planning,Q-SRP）效果进行比较。方法：将60例慢性牙周炎患者随机分为2组：FM-SRP组在1天内完成全口所有象限的刮治和根面平整。而Q-SRP组每周进行1个象限的刮治,连续4周完成全口治疗。分别在基线、3个月和6个月时,检测菌斑指数（plaque index,PI）、牙龈指数（gingival index,GI）、探诊出血（bleeding on probing,BOP）、探诊深度（probing depth。PD）及附着丧失（attachment loss,AL）的变化及患者的术后反应。所得结果分别进行秩和检验（PI、GI）、t检验（PD、AL）和X^2检验（BOP）。结果：与基线时相比,2种治疗方式在3个月和6个月时的所有临床牙周指数均有显著改善（P〈0．01）,但2组之间无显著性差异（P〉0．05）。在首次治疗24h,FM-SRP组的术后反应发生率显著高于Q-SRP组（P〈0.05）,但患者能够耐受。结论：FM-SRP和Q-SRP两种方法均可达到相同的临床效果,临床医生可根据实际需要,选择合适的治疗方式。     

Clinical Effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus in Non‐Surgical Treatment of Chronic Periodontitis: A Randomized Placebo‐Controlled Trial With 1‐Year Follow‐Up

Background: Probiotics are living microorganisms that provide beneficial effects for the host when administered in proper quantities. The aim of this double‐masked placebo‐controlled parallel‐arm randomized clinical trial is to evaluate the clinical effects of a Lactobacillus rhamnosus SP1‐containing probiotic sachet as an adjunct to non‐surgical therapy. Methods: Twenty‐eight systemically healthy volunteers with chronic periodontitis were recruited and monitored clinically at baseline and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after therapy. Clinical parameters measured included plaque accumulation, bleeding on probing, probing depths (PDs), and clinical attachment loss. Patients received non‐surgical therapy, including scaling and root planing (SRP), and were assigned randomly to a test (SRP + probiotic, n = 14) or control (SRP + placebo, n = 14) group. The intake, once a day for 3 months, of an L. rhamnosus SP1 probiotic sachet commenced after the last session of SRP. Results: Both test and control groups showed improvements in clinical parameters at all time points evaluated. However, the test group showed greater reductions in PD than the control. Also, at initial visits and after 1‐year follow‐up, the test group showed a statistically significant reduction in the number of participants with PD ≥6 mm, indicating a reduced need for surgery, in contrast to the placebo group. Conclusion: The results of this trial indicate that oral administration of L. rhamnosus SP1 resulted in similar clinical improvements compared with SRP alone.     

In vitro, clinical, and microbiological evaluation of a linear oscillating device for scaling and root planing

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to conduct an in vitro and short-term clinical and microbiological evaluation of a linear oscillating device for scaling and root planing (SRP). A comparison was made between conventional ultrasonic scaling (US) and hand scaling (HS) with and without chlorhexidine. METHODS: In vitro, SRP was carried out on human teeth with calculus. Roots and cross-sections thereof were microscopically examined for the efficacy of calculus removal, hard tissue loss, and surface smoothness. In vivo, 11 patients with chronic periodontitis and single-rooted teeth in all quadrants with probing depths of > or =5 mm were selected. One quadrant was treated with linear oscillation and compared to US with chlorhexidine irrigation in the contralateral site. The other arch was treated with HS and compared to HS followed by laser disinfection. One hundred twenty teeth were assessed for clinical attachment level, probing depth, bleeding on probing, and suppuration at baseline and 7, 28, 90, and 180 days. Microbiologically, total numbers of bacteria and six specific periodontal pathogens were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction prior to and 1 and 28 days after SRP. Clinical and microbiological data were analyzed statistically with respect to the SRP method, patient specificity, and time effect. RESULTS: In vitro, linear oscillation preserved more root tissues but left more calculus (P <0.05). Significant improvements of all clinical and microbiological parameters were observed for all groups. However, 21 out of 24 tests demonstrated that the clinical microbiological correlations between linear oscillation and control groups did not differ (P <0.05). CONCLUSION: Linear oscillation scaling was clinically acceptable and microbiologically comparable to the control groups despite microscopic remnants of calculus observed in vitro.     

A clinical and microbiological evaluation of systemic and local metronidazole delivery in adult periodontitis patients

Abstract The present study describes results on selected clinical and microbiological parameters obtained by treatment with local (Elyzol®) and systemic (Flagyl®) use of metronidazole alone and/or mechanical subgingival debridement in adult periodontitis. Patients were randomly divided into local and systemic treatment groups each comprising 5 individuals in each of whom 4 sites (one site/quadrant) with a probing depth of mm were selected and treated with separate treatment modalities. The overall treatment design provided 6 different test groups. Groups of quadrants received: (1) scaling and root planing; (2) local metronidazole treatment: (3) systemic metronidazole treatment; (4) local melronidazole combined with scaling and root planing; (5) systemic metronidazole combined with scaling and root planing; (6) no treatment. The microbiological and clinical effects of treatment modalities were monitored over a period of 42 days. All treatments resulted in clinical improvements (gingivitis, probing pocket depth, attachment level) except for the untreated group. Parallel to the clinical changes, all treatments reduced the number of total bacteria and proportions of obligately anaerobic microorganisms. Although both of the combined treatment groups responded to therapy with better resolution of infection than the pure mechanical and pure metronidazole treatments, local metronidazole in combination with scaling and root planing seems to be more effective in terms of producing both clinical and microbial improvements.     

Clinical and Microbiologic Evaluation of Scaling and Root Planing per Quadrant and One‐Stage Full‐Mouth Disinfection Associated With Azithromycin or Chlorhexidine: A Clinical Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Conflicting data about the protocol of choice for non‐surgical periodontal therapy with adjuvant use are still reported. This study aims to evaluate, through clinical and microbiologic parameters, the systemic use of azithromycin (AZ) and chlorhexidine (CHX) as adjuvants to non‐surgical periodontal treatment performed by one‐stage full‐mouth disinfection (FMD) within 24 hours or conventional quadrant scaling (QS) in four weekly sections. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 85 patients diagnosed with chronic periodontitis underwent different treatment protocols, in six groups: three FMD groups and three QS groups, each with no adjuvants, with CHX, and with AZ. Clinical periodontal parameters were recorded, and total and quantitative bacterial counts of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, and Streptococcus oralis were measured with real‐time polymerase chain reaction at baseline and 90 and 180 days after treatment. Results: In all groups, a significant reduction was observed in the percentage of periodontal diseased sites, gingival index, plaque index, and clinical attachment level gain at 90 days, demonstrating effectiveness of the treatment, independently of the adjuvant. The FMD with CHX group showed higher reduction in probing depth and percentage of periodontal diseases sites, as well as lower total bacterial count, than all the other groups at 180 days. Conclusions: The adjuvant use of AZ did not provide any significant benefit, independently of the treatment protocol. The adjuvant use of CHX showed a more expressive and significant improvement in clinical and microbiologic parameters, especially in the FMD protocol, followed by QS.     

A 2-step non-surgical procedure and systemic antibiotics in the treatment of rapidly progressive periodontitis

BACKGROUND: In the last few years knowledge about periodontal infections has increased enormously, nevertheless practitioners are still seeking guidelines for suitable treatment concepts. METHODS: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of doxycycline, metronidazole, and clindamycin used adjunctively in a 2-step nonsurgical procedure in patients with rapidly progressive periodontitis (RPP). The first step included scaling, root planing, and polishing (SRP) in each quadrant using 4 to 5 visits. The second step included full-mouth enhanced root planing (RP) and wound dressing in 1 or 2 visits after SRP and the beginning of antibiotic therapy. Forty-eight patients (mean age 32.4 years) with generalized RPP, with an average of 16 sites with probing depths (PD) deeper than 8 mm, and high counts of Porphyromonas gingivalis were randomly assigned to 4 different groups: group 1 (doxycycline) n = 12, group 2 (metronidazole) n = 15, group 3 (clindamycin) n = 11, and group 4 (control group; no antibiotic treatment) n = 10. Clinical evaluations, including plaque index (PI), sulcus bleeding index (SBI), probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and bacteriological and crevicular cell sampling, were done at baseline (BL), 3 weeks after SRP, and 6 and 24 months after RP. RESULTS: After the first step (SRP), we observed an improvement of PI and SBI in all 4 groups, but did not see any statistically significant PD reduction 3 weeks after SRP compared to baseline. However, 6 and 24 months after the second step (RP) we observed a significantly greater reduction of PD in groups 2 and 3 and a significantly greater CAL gain in comparison to groups 1 and 4. After 24 months, the attachment level gain in group 1 and group 4 was less than 1.5 mm, and less than 1.0 mm in PD site categories 6 to 9 mm and >9 mm. PI showed no significant difference between the groups throughout the period after SRP until 24 months, compared to 3 weeks after SRP. SBI decreased most in the metronidazole and clindamycin groups. P. gingivalis and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans were almost completely eradicated in these 2 groups 24 months after RP. In addition, the phagocytotic capacity of crevicular polymorphonuclear neutrophils was increased in groups 2 and 3 after the second step. CONCLUSIONS: The present results show that metronidazole and clindamycin are effective antibiotics when used adjunctively in a 2-step nonsurgical procedure of scaling and root planing in RPP patients.     

Effect of a controlled-release chlorhexidine chip on clinical and microbiological parameters of periodontal syndrome

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a controlled-released chlorhexidine chip (CHX) as adjunctive therapy to scaling and root planing (SRP) in the treatment of chronic periodontitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty patients with at least four sites with probing depth >or= 5 mm and bleeding on probing were selected. This randomized single-blind study was carried out in parallel design. The control group received SRP alone, while the test group received SRP plus CHX chip. The clinical parameters, Plaque Index (PlI), Papillary Bleeding Score (PBS), Bleeding on Probing (BOP), Gingival Recession (GR), Probing Depth (PD) and Relative Attachment Level (RAL), and the microbiological parameter BANA test were recorded at baseline and after 3, 6 and 9 months. RESULTS: Both groups presented significant improvements in all parameters analyzed over the study period. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups for any parameter analyzed after 9 months, except for BOP, which was significantly reduced in the control group. The mean reductions on PD and RAL were 2.4 mm and 1.0 mm for the control group and 2.2 mm and 0.6 mm for the test group, respectively. CONCLUSION: The CHX chip did not provide any clinical or microbiological benefit beyond that achieved with conventional scaling and root planning, after a 9-month period.     

Scaling and root planing and chlorhexidine mouthrinses in the treatment of chronic periodontitis: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the clinical and microbiological effects of scaling and root planing (SRP) alone or in combination with 0.12% chlorhexidine (CHX) rinsing. METHODS: A blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-design, randomized clinical trial was conducted in 29 subjects with chronic periodontitis. Subjects were assigned to two therapeutic groups: control (SRP+placebo) and test (SRP+CHX during and up to 42 days post-therapy). Clinical and microbiological [N-benzoyl-dl-arginine-2-naphthylamide (BANA test)] examinations were performed at baseline, 42 and 63 days post-therapy. RESULTS: Initially, intermediate sites (4-6 mm) in the test group showed less plaque accumulation, gingival bleeding, bleeding on probing and a greater reduction in attachment level and probing depth (PD) at 63 days after treatment. The initially deep sites (>6 mm) in the CHX group also showed a better reduction in plaque accumulation and in PD compared with the control group. Both therapies led to a microbiological improvement; however, the test subjects showed a higher frequency of BANA-negative sites after treatment, which was sustained over time (p<0.001). At 63 days, the control group presented 25 BANA-negative sites and 65 positive sites, and the test group 58 and 26, respectively. CONCLUSION: The combination of CHX rinses and SRP leads to clinical benefits and to a better reduction in BANA-positive species.     

Effects of Photodynamic Therapy on Clinical and Gingival Crevicular Fluid Inflammatory Biomarkers in Chronic Periodontitis: A Split‐Mouth Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: There are limited clinical experiments addressing the effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) as an adjunct to conventional scaling and root planing (SRP) on clinical and biologic features of periodontitis. This trial compares the clinical parameters and cytokine profiles in gingival crevicular fluid of patients with moderate‐to‐severe chronic periodontitis (CP) who have been treated using SRP alone or SRP + PDT. Methods: Twenty‐two patients with two contralateral teeth affected with moderate‐to‐severe CP were selected. After SRP, the participants’ teeth were randomized to receive either no further treatment or a single application of PDT using a 638‐nm laser and toluidine blue. Although the change in probing depth was the primary outcome, bleeding on probing, clinical attachment level, gingival recession, interleukin‐1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, and matrix metalloproteinase 8 and 9 were also evaluated at baseline and 3 months postintervention. An oral rinse assay was also performed to determine the total levels of oral polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) before and 3 months after the treatments. Results: Within each group, significant improvements (P <0.001) were found for all variables in 3‐month follow‐up compared with baseline. Only TNF‐α was significantly improved in the PDT + SRP versus SRP group. Total levels of PMNs were reduced for all patients compared with baseline levels (P <0.001). Conclusion: In patients with CP, a single application of PDT (using a 638‐nm laser and toluidine blue) did not provide any additional benefit to SRP in terms of clinical parameters or inflammatory markers 3 months following the intervention.     

The rôle of chlorhexidine in the one-stage full-mouth disinfection treatment of patients with advanced adult periodontitis. Long-term clinical and microbiological observations

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recent studies reported significant additional clinical and microbiological improvements when severe adult periodontitis was treated by means of a "one-stage full-mouth" disinfection instead of a standard treatment strategy with consecutive root planings quadrant per quadrant. The one stage full-mouth disinfection procedure involves scaling and root planing of all pockets within 24 h in combination with an extensive application of chlorhexidine to all intra-oral niches such as periodontal pockets, tongue dorsum, tonsils (chairside, and at home for 2 months). This study aims to examine the relative importance of the use of chlorhexidine in the one stage full-mouth disinfection protocol. METHODS: Therefore, 3 groups of 12 patients each with advanced periodontitis were followed, both from a clinical and microbiological point of view, over a period of 8 months. The patients from the control group were scaled and root planed, quadrant per quadrant. at two-week intervals. The 2 other groups underwent a one stage full-mouth scaling and root planing (all pockets within 24 h) with (Fdis) or without (FRp=full-mouth root planing) the adjunctive use of chlorhexidine. At baseline and after 1, 2, 4 and 8 months, the following clinical parameters were recorded: plaque and gingivitis indices, probing depth, bleeding on probing and clinical attachment level. Microbiological samples were taken from different intra-oral niches (tongue, mucosa, saliva and pooled samples from single- and multi-rooted teeth). The samples were cultured on selective and non-selective media in order to evaluate the number of CFU/ml for the key-periodontopathogens. At baseline, an anonymous questionnaire was given to the patients to record the perception of each treatment (post operative pain, fever, swelling etc.). RESULTS: All 3 treatment strategies resulted in significant improvements for all clinical parameters, but the Fdis and FRp patients reacted always significantly more favourably than the control group, with an additional probing depth reduction of +/- 1.5 mm and an additional gain in attachment of +/- 2 mm (for pockets > or = 7 mm). Also from a microbiological point of view both the FRp and Fdis patients showed additional improvements when compared to the control group, as well in the reduction of spirochetes and motile organisms as in the number of CFU/ml of the key-pathogens, especially when the subgingival plaque samples were considered. The differences between FRp and Fdis patients were negligible. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the benefits of a "one-stage full-mouth disinfection" in the treatment of patients suffering from severe adult periodontitis probably results from the full-mouth scaling and root planing within 24 h rather than the beneficial effect of chlorhexidine. The raise in body temperature the second day after the full-mouth scaling and root planing seems to indicate a Shwartzman reaction.