A randomized multi-center study on the effectiveness of non-surgical periodontal therapy in general practice
. 2022 Jul 14.
Abstract
Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of two non-surgical treatment protocols for periodontitis patients in general dental practice.
Material and methods: Ninety-five dental hygienists (59 dental clinics) were randomly assigned to one of two treatment protocols: (i) establishment of adequate self-performed oral hygiene prior to a single session of ultrasonic instrumentation (guided periodontal infection control, GPIC) or (ii) conventional non-surgical therapy (CNST) including patient education and scaling and root planing integrated in multiple sessions. Residual pockets at 3 months were retreated in both groups. The primary outcome was pocket closure (probing pocket depth ≤4 mm) at 6 months. Multilevel models were utilized.
Results: Based on data from 615 patients, no significant differences with regard to clinical outcomes were observed between treatment protocols. Treatment-related costs (i.e. chair time, number of sessions) were significantly lower for GPIC than CNST. Smoking and age significantly affected treatment outcomes.
Conclusion: No significant differences between the two approaches were observed in regard to clinical outcomes. GPIC was more time-effective. Patient education should include information on the detrimental effects of smoking.
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