[Efficacy of periodontal endoscope-assisted non-surgical treatment for severe and generalized periodontitis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of periodontal endoscope as an adjuvant therapy for the non-surgical periodontal treatment of patients with severe and generalized periodontitis. METHODS: Patients (n=13) were divided into three groups: patients treated with conventional subgingival scaling and root planing (SRP) (n=7, 408 sites) (group A), SRP using periodontal endoscope (n=4, 188 sites) (group B) or SRP with periodontal endoscope 3 months after initial SRP (n=2, 142 sites) (group C). Two subgroups were divided into 2 subgroups according to PD at the baseline: 46 mm as subgroup 2. Probing depth (PD), attachment loss (AL), gingival recession (GR) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were recorded. RESULTS: The results of 3 months after treatment showed all PD, AL, and GR values in group A1 were less than those in group B1 (P<0.05), but no significant difference in BOP was found between the two groups. The decrease in PD, BOP in group B2 was more obvious than those in group A2 (P<0.000 1), and the GR values in group B2 were more than those in group A2 (P<0.000 1). But the improvement of AL showed no statistical difference between the two groups (P=0.296 8). In group C1, no significant difference in PD, AL, and GR was observed after endoscopy-assisted therapy, but it was more effective for BOP (P<0.000 1). In group C2, the improvement in PD and AL was significantly different from the improvement in SRP alone (P=0.000 5, P=0.000 2) and was accompanied by more GR (P=0.000 5). CONCLUSIONS: In non-surgical treatment of severe and generalized periodontitis, SRP can achieve good therapeutic effect on sites with 46 mm, the application of periodontal endoscopy can increase the effect, reducing PD and GR, which may be an effective supplement to the current non-surgical periodontal treatment.

[Accuracy of paralleling technique in measuring the depth of approximal infrabony pocket].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of paralleling technique in measuring the depth of approximal infrabony pocket after periodontal flap surgery by comparing the measured and actual depths. METHODS: The study population included 26 patients with infrabony defects who had undergone periodontal flap surgery, bone graft surgery, and guided tissue regene-ration. The measured and actual depths of approximal infrabony pocket after periodontal flap surgery were compared. The 26 infrabony defects were categorized into the following groups according to tooth position: anterior teeth, premolar, and molar groups, and according to type of infrabony pocket: one-walled, two-walled, and three-walled infrabony pocket groups. Paired t-test was used to detect the difference between the two values. RESULTS: Depth measurements of the approximal infrabony pocket depth of the anterior teeth and premolar were not significantly different (P>0.05), whereas those of the molar group were significantly different (P<0.05). In addition, depth measurements in one-walled and two-walled infrabony pocket groups showed no significant differences (P>0.05), whereas those in the three-walled infrabony pocket group were significantly different (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Paral-leling technique can accurately measure the depth of approximal infrabony pockets of anterior teeth and premolar teeth that are one- or two-walled. However, this method cannot accurately measure the approximal infrabony pockets of molar teeth and three-walled infrabony pockets as indicated by significant differences in their depth measurements.