Subgingival polishing compared to scaling with steel curettes: a clinical pilot study.
BACKGROUND
Recently, we have developed teflon-coated sonic scaler inserts which remove plaque without removing tooth substance; they polish subgingivally. In a preclinical test, we showed that these modified inserts remove plaque nearly as effectively as do conventional sonic scaler inserts. The present investigation was intended as a proof-of-principle of subgingival polishing. The aim was to study the effect of subgingival polishing on the resolution of gingival inflammation in comparison to conventional scaling.


METHODS
In 10 patients with moderate to advanced periodontal disease, who had at least 2 single-rooted teeth with a probing depth of >6 mm in each quadrant, all single-rooted teeth were subjected to one treatment regimen consisting of 2 instrumentation episodes (1st/2nd treatment): curette/curette, curette/teflon-coated sonic scaler, teflon-coated sonic scaler/teflon-coated sonic scaler, and an untreated control. The second treatment session was performed 3 months after the first instrumentation, and the final registration 3 months after the second instrumentation. Clinical measurements included probing depth, change of clinical attachment level, bleeding upon probing, and plaque scores.


RESULTS
Probing depth, attachment level, and bleeding scores were reduced in the 3 instrumentation groups versus the control group in the 1st period; in the 2nd period, no further change occurred. Subgingival polishing with teflon-coated sonic scaler inserts was slightly less effective than conventional scaling.


CONCLUSIONS
Subgingival polishing with teflon-coated sonic scaler inserts seems to be nearly as effective as conventional scaling. Thus, it may be the instrumentation of choice for maintenance treatment of residual pockets.
Kocher
T
T
Abteilung Parodontologie in der Poliklinik für Zahnerhaltung, Parodontologie und Kinderzahnheilkunde im Zentrum für Zahn-Mund- und Kieferheilkunde, Greifswald, Germany. kocher@mail.uni-greifswald.de
König
J
J
Hansen
P
P
Rühling
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003762:Dental Instruments; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000628:therapy*; D012534:Dental Scaling / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000628:therapy; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000628:therapy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D013010:Sonication; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene