Periodontal healing after non-surgical therapy with a new ultrasonic device: a randomized controlled clinical trial.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to compare the clinical and microbiological healing outcomes following non-surgical periodontal therapy using the new Vector ultrasonic system versus scaling and root planing (S/RP) with Gracey curettes.


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 the lower jaws each. Clinical and microbiological parameters were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, and 6 months after treatment. Furthermore, post-operative hypersensitivity was assessed. The Wilcoxon signed rank test (alpha=0.05) was used for statistical analysis.


RESULTS
Both therapies provided statistically significant clinical and microbiological improvements of periodontal conditions 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, no other clinical and microbiological parameters revealed significant differences between the sites treated with the Vector system or S/RP.


CONCLUSIONS
Both the Vector system and S/RP provided 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, Germany. michael.christgau@klinik.uni-regensburg.de
Männer
T
T
Beuer
S
S
Hiller
K-A
KA
Schmalz
G
G
D000328:Adult; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D012534:Dental Scaling / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016745:Root Planing / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014945:Wound Healing