title: Subgingival air-polishing with erythritol during periodontal maintenance: randomized clinical trial of twelve months.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate repeated subgingival air-polishing in residual pockets with a new erythritol powder containing 0.3% chlorhexidine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single-centre, examiner masked, randomized clinical trial of 12 months with a two-arm, within-subject parallel design. Fifty patients in periodontal maintenance were monitored in 3-month intervals. At months 0, 3, 6 and 9, all sites presenting with a probing depth (PD) >4 mm were subject to subgingival air-polishing (test side) or ultrasonic debridement (control side). The primary endpoint was presence/absence of PD >4 mm after 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Totally 6918 sites were monitored at baseline, 457 of them had a PD >4 mm (range 5-9 mm). The number of pockets >4 mm per subject, PD and bleeding on probing were significantly lower at month 12. Differences between test and control were not significant. There was a significant difference in favour of air-polishing for the perception of pain/discomfort. Differences of frequencies at >1000 and >100,000 cells/ml of six microorganisms between baseline and month 12 were not significant. At month 12, test sites were less frequently positive for Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans at >1000 cells/ml than controls, and counts never exceeded 100,000 cells/ml.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Repeated subgingival air-polishing reduced the number of pockets >4 mm similar to ultrasonic debridement. It was safe and induced less pain.
authors.affiliation: Division of Periodontology and Oral Pathophysiology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Raphaël
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moëne
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cancela
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mombelli
mesh_terms: D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058491:Bacterial Load; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D012534:Dental Scaling / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D003807:Dentin Sensitivity / Q000145:classification; D004896:Erythritol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000517:prevention & control; D005889:Gingival Recession / Q000145:classification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058748:Pain Perception / Q000502:physiology; D057747:Periodontal Debridement / Q000379:methods; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D014465:Ultrasonics / Q000295:instrumentation
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D002710:Chlorhexidine; D004896:Erythritol
keywords: air-polishing; clinical trial; maintenance; subgingival plaque removal