title: A combined treatment regimen for desquamative gingivitis in patients with oral lichen planus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic desquamative gingivitis (DG) is a condition characterized by erythema, ulceration, and desquamation of the free and attached gingiva, usually expression of a district-systemic disease, such as oral lichen planus (OLP).
  
  
  METHODS
  A combined protocol of oral hygiene and topic corticosteroid therapy was applied in 30 patients with DG associated with OLP. Plaque index (PI) and bleeding on probing (BoP) were evaluated at baseline and after 3 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PI scoring was significantly lower after treatment in anterior, posterior, and all sites (P < 0.0001) as well as in vestibular and lingual ones (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0001, respectively). BoP measures were found to be reduced significantly to 22.94% in a full-mouth evaluation (P < 0.0001; OR = 2.633; 95% CI: 2.2685-3.0561) as well as in each specific site (P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This clinical trial validated the efficacy, in patients with DG associated with OLP, of a protocol based on professional oral hygiene and self-performed plaque control measures in improving of gingival health status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Sciences, Section of Periodontology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guiglia
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Liberto
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pizzo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Picone
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lo Muzio
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Campisi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D012534:Dental Scaling; D005260:Female; D005892:Gingivitis, Necrotizing Ulcerative / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010512:Periodontal Index; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones