Diagnostic discrimination of bleeding on probing during maintenance periodontal therapy.

The purpose of this study was to test the diagnostic discrimination of bleeding on probing in a group of 71 patients who have been treated for periodontitis. They have been maintained over 5 years receiving prophylaxis every 3 months and clinical evaluation once a year. 1,746 teeth were used and extracted and retreated teeth were not included. The presence or absence of bleeding on probing was recorded for each tooth over the five yearly examinations. After recording the site variations between the 1st and the 5th year maintenance values, the highest value of attachment loss per tooth was selected. Teeth were considered diseased when they presented at least one site with 4 mm of probing pocket depth at the baseline (year 1) and 2 mm of attachment loss after 5 years (Criterion 1), or showed 3 mm of attachment loss after 5 years (Criterion 2). The prevalence of disease was 8.19% (143 teeth) for Criterion 1 and 19.7% (344 teeth) for Criterion 2. Bleeding on probing 2 times presented the highest sensitivity (86% Criterion 1 and 64.5% Criterion 2) and the lowest predictability (11.9% Criterion 1 and 21.4% Criterion 2). Bleeding on probing frequency = 5 times showed the highest specificity (93.6% Criterion 1 and 93.4% Criterion 2) and predictability (93.4% Criterion 1 and 81.5% Criterion 2). These results demonstrated that bleeding on probing may not be substituted for clinical attachment levels when evaluating the periodontal attachment loss over time. However, the high specificity and predictability of these tests as a negative one suggests that absence of bleeding after probing may be a good indicator of maintenance of periodontal attachment levels over time.

Clinical evaluation of the use of citric acid and autologous fibronectin in periodontal surgery.

This study evaluated the effects of citric acid demineralization and autologous fibronectin application in association with a modified Widman flap in the treatment of periodontitis. The study population comprised 29 patients under treatment for moderate to advanced periodontitis who reached the one-year posttherapy evaluation. After thorough scaling and root planing, a split mouth design was used in which two quadrants were treated by modified Widman flap alone, and the other two randomly assigned quadrants were treated by modified Widman flap combined with citric acid demineralization and autologous fibronectin application. Fibronectin, which had previously been isolated from the patient's own plasma, was applied with a tuberculin syringe on the citric acid demineralized root surfaces and the inner aspect of the flap. After suturing provided good flap adaptation, additional fibronectin was again applied under the flap and external pressure was applied. Patients were clinically evaluated at baseline and at one year. Statistical evaluation of the data using paired t test and Chi-square analysis indicated that both approaches, modified Widman flap alone or in combination with citric acid and fibronectin, significantly reduced probing pocket depth and increased clinical attachment. However, the changes achieved with citric acid and fibronectin were statistically greater than those obtained with the flap alone. Furthermore, the number of sites gaining 2 mm or more of clinical attachment were significantly increased. The results suggest that the use of citric acid and fibronectin holds promise in promoting reattachment after periodontal therapy.

4 modalities of periodontal treatment compared over 5 years.

The purpose of the present study was to assess in a clinical trial over 5 years the results following 4 different modalities of periodontal therapy (pocket elimination or reduction surgery, modified Widman flap surgery, subgingival curettage, and scaling and rool planing). 90 patients were treated. The treatment methods were applied on a random basis to each of the 4 quadrants of the dentition. The patients were given professional tooth cleaning and oral hygiene instructions every 3 months. Pocket depth and attachment levels were scored once a year. 72 patients completed the 5 years of observation. Both patient means for pocket depth and attachment level as well as % distribution of sites with loss of attachment greater than or equal to 2 mm and greater than or equal to 3 mm were compared. For 1-3 mm probing depth, scaling and root planing, as well as subgingival curettage led to significantly less attachment loss than pocket elimination and modified Widman flap surgery. For 4-6 mm pockets, scaling and root planing and curettage had better attachment results than pocket elimination surgery. For the 7-12 mm pockets, there was no statistically significant difference among the results following the various procedures.