Oral health impacts on daily living related to four different treatment protocols for chronic periodontitis

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were to evaluate the oral health impacts perceived by patients submitted to different treatments of chronic periodontitis and their association with clinical parameters. METHODS: Sixty patients were assigned to one of the following therapeutic groups: control, treated with full-mouth scaling and root planing (SRP); test 1, treated with SRP and 400 mg systemically administered metronidazole (MET) three times per day for 10 days; test 2, treated with SRP and professional supragingival plaque removal (PP) every week for 3 months; and test 3, treated with SRP and MET plus PP. Clinical periodontal measurements and data regarding patients' oral health impacts (perceived impacts on bleeding gums, gingival recession, sensitivity to cold, packing foods, aesthetics, bad breath, and tooth mobility) were collected at baseline and 3 months after therapy. RESULTS: All groups presented significant improvement in oral health perceived impacts. There was no statistically significant difference in the improvement of oral health impacts among groups subjected to different treatments. The clinical data of percentage of deep probing depth, deep clinical attachment level, and bleeding on probing were found to be correlated significantly with oral health impacts. CONCLUSIONS: Periodontal treatment leads to a significant reduction of self-perceived impacts regardless of the non-surgical treatment protocol employed. Most of the clinical data were associated with oral health impacts.