Association of gingival biotype with the results of scaling and root planing.
OBJECTIVE
The concept of gingival biotype has been used as a predictor of periodontal therapy outcomes since the 1980s. In the present study, prospective and controlled experiments were performed to compare periodontal pocket depth (PPD) reduction and gingival shrinkage (GSH) after scaling and root planing (SRP) according to gingival biotype.


METHODS
Twenty-five patients diagnosed with chronic periodontitis participated in the present study. The PPD and GSH of the labial side of the maxillary anterior teeth (from the right canine to the left canine) were evaluated at baseline and 3 months after SRP. Changes in the PPD following SRP were classified into 4 groups according to the gingival thickness and initial PPD. Two more groups representing normal gingival crevices were added in evaluation of the GSH. The results were statistically analyzed using the independent t-test.


RESULTS
In the end, 16 patients participated in the present study. With regard to PPD reduction, there were no significant differences according to gingival biotype (P>0.05). Likewise, sites with a PPD of over 3 mm failed to show any significant differences in the GSH (P>0.05). However, among the sites with a PPD of under 3 mm, those with the thin gingival biotype showed more GSH (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
PPD changes after SRP were not affected by gingival biotype with either shallow or deep periodontal pockets. GSH also showed equal outcomes in all the groups without normal gingival crevices. The results of SRP seem not to differ according to gingival biotype.
Department of Periodontology, Wonkwang University School of Dentistry, Iksan, Korea.
Yeon-Woo
YW
Sin
Department of Periodontology, Wonkwang University School of Dentistry, Iksan, Korea. ; Wonkwang Dental Research Institute, Wonkwang University School of Dentistry, Iksan, Korea.
Hee-Yung
HY
Chang
Department of Periodontology, Wonkwang University School of Dentistry, Iksan, Korea.
Woo-Hyuk
WH
Yun
Department of Periodontology, Wonkwang University School of Dentistry, Iksan, Korea. ; Wonkwang Dental Research Institute, Wonkwang University School of Dentistry, Iksan, Korea.
Seong-Nyum
SN
Jeong
Department of Periodontology, Wonkwang University School of Dentistry, Iksan, Korea. ; Wonkwang Dental Research Institute, Wonkwang University School of Dentistry, Iksan, Korea.
Sung-Hee
SH
Pi
Department of Periodontology, Wonkwang University School of Dentistry, Iksan, Korea. ; Wonkwang Dental Research Institute, Wonkwang University School of Dentistry, Iksan, Korea.
Hyung-Keun
HK
You
Dental scaling; Periodontal pocket; Root planing