Periodontal healing after non-surgical therapy with a modified sonic scaler: a controlled clinical trial.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to compare the clinical and microbiological healing outcomes following non-surgical periodontal therapy using a modified sonic scaler system versus scaling and root planing (S/RP) with hand instruments.


METHODS
The study comprised 20 chronic periodontitis patients. Using a split-mouth design, both treatment modalities were randomly applied to one quadrant of the upper and lower jaws. Clinical and microbiological parameters were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, and 6 months after treatment. Furthermore, post-operative hypersensitivity was investigated. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test (alpha = 0.05) was used for statistical analysis.


RESULTS
With both therapy methods, periodontal conditions showed statistically significant clinical and microbiological improvements after 4 weeks and 6 months. Hypersensitive teeth were found only 4 weeks after S/RP. Besides a significantly better bleeding on probing reduction in deep S/RP sites and less time required for root instrumentation by the sonic scaler, no other clinical and microbiological parameters revealed significant differences between sites treated with the sonic scaler or S/RP.


CONCLUSIONS
The sonic scaler system and S/RP seem to provide similarly favourable periodontal healing results, although in deep pockets S/RP appeared to achieve a better resolution of inflammation.
Christgau
M
M
Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. micheal.christgau@klinik.uni-regensburg.de
Männer
T
T
Beuer
S
S
Hiller
K-A
KA
Schmalz
G
G
D000328:Adult; D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D012534:Dental Scaling / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D003807:Dentin Sensitivity / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000628:therapy; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000628:therapy; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016745:Root Planing / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D048373:Treponema denticola / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014945:Wound Healing