Sandro Bittencourt

Periodontal debridement as a therapeutic approach for severe chronic periodontitis: a clinical, microbiological and immunological study

AIM To clinically, microbiologically and immunologically characterize periodontal debridement as a therapeutic approach for severe chronic periodontitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty-five patients presenting at least eight teeth with a probing pocket depth (PPD) of >or=5 mm and bleeding on probing (BOP) were selected and randomly assigned to quadrant-wise scaling and root planing or one session of full-mouth periodontal debridement. The following clinical outcomes were assessed: plaque index, BOP, position of gingival margin, relative attachment level (RAL) and PPD. Real-time PCR was used for quantitative analysis of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Tannerella forsythia. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay permitted the detection of IL-1beta, prostaglandin E(2), INF-gamma and IL-10 in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). All the parameters were evaluated at baseline, and at 3 and 6 months after treatment. RESULTS Both the groups had similar means of PPD reduction and attachment gain over time. Besides a significant reduction in the bacterial level after treatment in both groups, microbiological analysis failed to demonstrate significant differences between them. Finally, no difference was observed between groups with respect to the levels of inflammatory mediators in GCF. CONCLUSION Periodontal debridement resulted in a similar clinical, microbiological and immunological outcome when compared with standard scaling and root planing and therefore may be a viable approach to deal with severe chronic periodontitis.

Full-Mouth Ultrasonic Debridement Associated With Amoxicillin and Metronidazole in the Treatment of Severe Chronic Periodontitis

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adjunctive clinical, microbiologic, and immunologic effects of the systemic administration of amoxicillin and metronidazole in the full-mouth ultrasonic debridement of patients with severe chronic periodontitis. METHODS Twenty-five patients presenting at least eight teeth with probing depth (PD) > or =5 mm and bleeding on probing (BOP) were selected and randomly assigned to full-mouth ultrasonic debridement + placebo (control group) or full-mouth ultrasonic debridement + amoxicillin and metronidazole (test group). The clinical outcomes evaluated were visible plaque index, BOP, position of the gingival margin, relative attachment level (RAL), and PD. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for quantitative analysis of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (previously Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans), Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Tannerella forsythia (previously T. forsythensis). The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique permitted the detection of prostaglandin E(2,) interleukin-1beta, and interferon-gamma levels in gingival crevicular fluid. All parameters were evaluated at baseline and at 3 and 6 months post-treatment. RESULTS At 6 months, the test treatment resulted in lower BOP and an additional reduction (0.83 mm) in PD (P <0.05). Data also showed RAL gain > or =2 mm at 43.52% of sites in control patients compared to 58.03% of sites in test patients (P <0.05). However, both groups had similar mean RAL gain (1.68 and 1.88 mm for the control and test groups, respectively). Real-time PCR and ELISA failed to identify significant differences between the groups. CONCLUSIONS Both treatments resulted in significant clinical improvements; however, there was a slight, but significantly greater, improvement in BOP and the percentage of sites with PD > or =5 mm exhibiting RAL gain > or =2 mm in the test group. Nevertheless, no improvement in the microbiologic or immunologic outcome was observed with the adjunctive use of systemic amoxicillin and metronidazole.

Photodynamic therapy associated with full-mouth ultrasonic debridement in the treatment of severe chronic periodontitis: a randomized-controlled clinical trial

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a method of microbial reduction which can benefit periodontal treatment in areas of difficult access, such as deep pockets and furcations. The aim of this randomized controlled clinical trial was to evaluate the effects of PDT as an adjunct to full-mouth ultrasonic debridement in the treatment of severe chronic periodontitis. Material and Methods: Twenty-two patients with at least one pocket with a probing depth (PD) of ≥7 mm and one pocket with a PD of ≥5 mm and bleeding on probing (BOP) on each side of the mouth were included, characterizing a split mouth design. The control group underwent full-mouth ultrasonic debridement and the test group received the same treatment associated with PDT. The PDT was performed on only one side of the mouth and the initial step consisted of subgingival irrigation with 0.005% methylene blue dye. Two minutes after applying the photosensitizer, the low power laser - AsGaAl (Photon Lase III - PL7336, DMC, São Carlos -São Paulo, Brazil) was applied (660 nm, 100 mW, 9 J, 90 seconds per site, 320 J/cm2, diameter tip 600 µm).The following clinical parameters were evaluated: plaque index, gingival index, BOP, gingival recession (GR), PD, and clinical attachment level (CAL). All parameters were collected before, 1, 3 and 6 months after treatment. Results: An improvement in BOP, PD and CAL was observed after treatment, in both groups, but without any difference between them. After 6 months, the PD decreased from 5.11±0.56 mm to 2.83±0.47 mm in the test group (p<0.05) and from 5.15±0.46 mm to 2.83±0.40 mm in the control group (p<0.05). The CAL changed, after 6 months, from 5.49±0.76 mm to 3.41±0.84 mm in the test group (p<0.05) and from 5.53±0.54 to 3.39±0.51 mm in the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Both approaches resulted in significant clinical improvements in the treatment of severe chronic periodontits, however, the PDT did not provide any additional benefit to those obtained with full-mouth ultrasonic debridement used alone.

Semilunar Coronally Positioned Flap or Subepithelial Connective Tissue Graft for the Treatment of Gingival Recession: A 30-Month Follow-Up Study

BACKGROUND The objective of this prospective, controlled clinical trial was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) or semilunar coronally positioned flap (SCPF) for the treatment of Miller Class I gingival recession defects. METHODS Seventeen patients with bilateral Miller Class I gingival recessions (< or =4.0 mm) in maxillary canines or premolars were selected. The recessions were randomly assigned to receive SCPF or SCTG. Recession height (RH), recession width (RW), width of keratinized tissue (WKT), thickness of keratinized tissue (TKT), probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment level (CAL) were measured at baseline and at 6 and 30 months post-surgery. Patient satisfaction with esthetics and root sensitivity was also evaluated. RESULTS The root-coverage outcomes obtained at 6 months were maintained throughout the study. At the 30-month examination, the average percentage of root coverage was 89.25% for SCPF and 96.83% for SCTG (P >0.05); complete root coverage was observed in 58.82% and 88.24% of patients, respectively. SCTG maintained a statistically significant increase in TKT (P <0.05) at 30 months. At this time, there were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to RH, RW, WKT, PD, and CAL. The evaluation of the esthetic outcome by the patient showed a preference for the SCTG treatment. Furthermore, in this group, no patient complained of residual or additional root hypersensitivity. In the SCPF group, three patients had this complaint at 30 months. CONCLUSIONS SCPF and SCTG can be successfully used to treat Class I gingival recession, presenting outcomes with long-term stability. However, patient-oriented outcomes, such as esthetics and root sensitivity, favor SCTG therapy.

Surgical Microscope May Enhance Root Coverage With Subepithelial Connective Tissue Graft: A Randomized-Controlled Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND Minimally invasive techniques have broadened the horizons of periodontal plastic surgery to improve treatment outcomes. Thus, the purpose of this clinical trial was to compare root coverage, postoperative morbidity, and esthetic outcomes of subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) technique with or without the use of a surgical microscope in the treatment of gingival recessions. METHODS In this split-mouth study, twenty-four patients with bilateral Millers Class I or II buccal gingival recessions ≥2.0 mm in canines or premolars were selected. Gingival recessions were randomly designated to receive treatment with SCTG with or without the assistance of the surgical microscope (test and control groups, respectively). Clinical parameters evaluated included the following: depth (RH) and width (RW) of the gingival defect, width (WKT) and thickness (TKT) of keratinized tissue, probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment level (CAL). Postoperative morbidity was evaluated by means of an analog visual scale and questionnaire. Patient satisfaction was also evaluated with a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were expressed as mean ± SD. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used for examination of differences regarding PD, CAL, and TKT. The Wilcoxon test was used to detect differences between groups and the Friedman test to detect differences within group regarding WKT, RH, and RW. RESULTS The average percentages of root coverage for test and control treatments, after 12 months, were 98.0% and 88.3%, respectively (P <0.05). Complete root coverage was achieved in 87.5% and 58.3% of teeth treated in test and control groups, respectively. For all parameters except recession height, there was an improvement in the final examination but without difference between treatments. For the RH, a lower value was found in the test group compared to the control group (P <0.05). In the test group, all patients were satisfied with the esthetics obtained, and 19 patients (79.1%) were satisfied in the control group. For postoperative morbidity, 14 patients in each of the two treatment groups did not use analgesics for pain control. CONCLUSION Both approaches were capable of producing root coverage; however, use of the surgical microscope was associated with additional clinical benefits in the treatment of teeth with gingival recessions.

Non-surgical instrumentation associated with povidone-iodine in the treatment of interproximal furcation involvements

Objective The aim of this controlled clinical trial was to evaluate the effect of topically applied povidone-iodine (PVP-I) used as an adjunct to non-surgical treatment of interproximal class II furcation involvements. Material and methods Thirty-two patients presenting at least one interproximal class II furcation involvement that bled on probing with probing pocket depth (PPD) ≥5 mm were recruited. Patients were randomly chosen to receive either subgingival instrumentation with an ultrasonic device using PVP-I (10%) as the cooling liquid (test group) or identical treatment using distilled water as the cooling liquid (control group). The following clinical outcomes were evaluated: visible plaque index, bleeding on probing (BOP), position of the gingival margin, relative attachment level (RAL), PPD and relative horizontal attachment level (RHAL). BAPNA (N-benzoyl-Larginine-p-nitroanilide) testing was used to analyze trypsin-like activity in dental biofilm. All parameters were evaluated at baseline and 1, 3 and 6 months after non-surgical subgingival instrumentation. Results Six months after treatment, both groups had similar means of PPD reduction, RAL and RHAL gain (p>0.05). These variables were, respectively, 2.20±1.10 mm, 1.27±1.02 mm and 1.33±0.85 mm in the control group and 2.67±1.21 mm, 1.50±1.09 mm and 1.56±0.93 mm in the test group. No difference was observed between groups at none of the posttreatment periods, regarding the number of sites showing clinical attachment gain ≥2 mm. However, at 6 months posttreatment, the test group presented fewer sites with PPD ≥5 mm than the control group. Also at 6 months the test group had lower BAPNA values than control group. Conclusion The use of PVP-I as an adjunct in the non-surgical treatment of interproximal class II furcation involvements provided limited additional clinical benefits.

The effect of one session of supragingival plaque control on clinical and biochemical parameters of chronic periodontitis

Supragingival plaque control is a requisite for the success of any periodontal procedure. However, little is know about the effect of this procedure alone on periodontitis. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of supragingival plaque control on clinical and biochemical parameters of chronic periodontitis. Twenty-five subjects exhibiting at least 4 pockets > 5mm, non-smokers and with no relevant systemic diseases, were selected for the study. The clinical and biochemical assessments were done before and 21 days after removal of plaque retentive factors, extraction of affected teeth and instruction in oral hygiene. The statistical analysis was done with the Student paired t-test (p<0,05) and demonstrated a reduction on the percentage of sites with bleeding on probing from 42.72 ± 15.83 to 35.87 ± 13.30 (p=0.002). Reduction in probing depth was detected on anterior teeth (initial/final mean: 2.88 mm/2.78 mm; p=0.01) and interproximal sites (initial/final mean: 3.80 mm/3.65 mm; p=0.001). There was an increase from 66.81% to 68.65% in the number of sites with probing depth of 1 to 3mm and a decrease from 26.21% to 24.17% in those with probing depth of 4 to 6mm. The BAPNA results showed a decrease from 51.44 ± 20.78 to 38.64 ± 12.34 (p=0.04). This study demonstrated that supragingival plaque control provides a reduction in gingival inflammation and alterations in the subgingival microflora detected by the BAPNA test.

Influence of crown shape on root coverage therapy

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the crown shape on the outcomes of root coverage procedures. Material and methods: Eighty patients with Miller class I gingival recessions in maxillary canines or premolars were selected. The recession areas were treated using the subepithelial connective tissue grafting. The following clinical parameters were analyzed: crown length (CL) and width (CW), recession height and width, probing depth, clinical attachment level, width and thickness of the keratinized tissue and percentage of root coverage achieved. These measurements were recorded at baseline and 6 months after the surgical procedure. The CW/CL ratio was calculated for each tooth and the median obtained (0.83). Patients were then ranked into two groups, according to the shape of the tooth with gingival recession: Group A – square crown shape (CW/CL values above 0.83) and Group B – long and narrow crown shape (CW/CL values below 0.83). Results: No statistically significant differences (p>0.05) were found between groups in any of the clinical parameters at baseline. After 6 months, both groups presented improved clinical outcomes for all parameters analyzed compared to baseline (p>0.05). The mean percentages and standard deviations of root coverage achieved in Group A and Group B was 91.37 (16.75) and 85.49 (23.55), respectively (p>0.05). Conclusions: Crown shape did not influence the root coverage obtained with the subepithelial connective tissue graft technique.