title: Clinical and radiographic outcomes following non-surgical therapy of periodontal infrabony defects: a retrospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this retrospective study was to analyse the clinical and radiographic response of infrabony defects following non-surgical therapy and to detect the factors associated with such a response.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical and radiographic data were retrieved from 143 consecutive patients treated with non-surgical periodontal therapy and re-assessed by the same clinician. Linear radiographic measurements of infrabony periodontal defects were performed on baseline and follow-up (12-18 months post-treatment) radiographs. Multilevel analysis was performed to analyse the associations between subject and site factors and healing of infrabony defects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 126 infrabony defects from 68 of these patients were identified at baseline and included in the analysis. Statistically significant reductions in probing pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, radiographic defect depth and a widening of the radiographic infrabony defect angle were detected following treatment. Initial defect depth and use of adjunctive antibiotics were positively associated with a reduction of radiographic defect depth, whereas smoking showed a negative association.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Within the limitations of a retrospective analysis with no control group, this study shows favourable clinical and radiographic outcomes in periodontal infrabony defects following non-surgical therapy, with complete bone fill in some cases.
authors.affiliation: Periodontology Unit and Division of Clinical Research, Eastman Dental Institute and Hospital, University College London (UCL), London, UK. l.nibali@eastman.ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nibali
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pometti
authors.forename: Yu-Kang
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Donos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001861:Bone Regeneration; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055361:Multilevel Analysis; D057747:Periodontal Debridement; D010512:Periodontal Index; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies