title: Clinical attachment loss produced by curettes and periodontal files.
abstract: The aim of this study was to clinically evaluate the effect of immediate trauma from instrumentation after scaling and root planing with different instruments. Ten subjects with moderate chronic periodontitis, presenting probing depths of 3.5-6.5mm on anterior teeth, maxillary and/or mandibular, were selected. Teeth were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: PF group - scaled and planed with Hirschfeld periodontal files; CC group - scaled and planed with Gracey conventional curettes. The selected teeth were probed with a computerised electronic probe, guided by an occlusal stent and subjected to scaling and root planing. Immediately following instrumentation, teeth were probed again. The difference between relative attachment level (RAL) immediately before and after instrumentation was considered as trauma from instrumentation. Intra-group analysis revealed statistically significant differences between RAL immediately before and after instrumentation in both groups (1.28 +/- 1.13 for PF group; and 0.83 +/- 0.41 for CC group - p<0.05). However, inter-group analysis did not show statistically significant difference in trauma from instrumentation caused by the different instruments (p=0.063). Within the limits of this study, it was concluded that root instrumentation causes a mean immediate attachment loss of 1.06mm, with no differences between instrumentation with periodontal curettes or periodontal files.
authors.affiliation: Correspondence to: Antonio Wilson Sallum, Department of Periodontics and Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry at Piracicaba (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renato  Vasconcelos
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Machion
authors.forename: Márcio Zaffalon
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Casati
authors.forename: Francisco Humberto
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Nociti Junior
authors.forename: Enilson Antonio
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Sallum
authors.forename: Wilson Antonio
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Sallum
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003762:Dental Instruments / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012534:Dental Scaling / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000209:etiology*; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000628:therapy