Jamie, M George
| Jamie, M George |
Jamie M George, Meghan N Hegarty
Yu-Cheng Chang
Periodontics, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
Introduction
Periodontal maintenance following periodontal therapy has been shown to increase the long-term effectiveness of periodontal health (Becker et al.,1984). Periodontal maintenance is defined as regularly scheduled intervals of supra- and sub-gingival plaque and calculus removal following periodontal therapy. This study followed patients who underwent osseous surgery in which gingiva and alveolar bone was recontoured to eliminate unphysiological bone architecture (Friedman, 1955). This study aims to evaluate the effect of periodontal maintenance on osseous surgical success by comparing pre- and post-operative probing depths.
Methods
244 patients (1015 teeth) were evaluated before and after osseous surgery by measuring pre- and post-operative probing depths. Probing depths were measured for the teeth at the surgical sites at the following intervals: pre-operative (initial charting), 6-month charting (any charting that was done between 3-8 months postoperatively), 12-month charting (9-14 months), 18-month charting (15-20 months), 24-month charting (21-26 months), > 26-month charting (>26 months). Patients were also evaluated based on how often they received periodontal maintenance following their osseous surgeries. Patient compliance to maintenance was assessed at the following intervals: 3M (any maintenance 0-90 days post-operatively), 6M (91-180 days), 9M (181-270 days), 12M (271-360 days), 15M (361-450 days), 18M (451-540 days), 21 M (541-630 days), 24M (631-720 days), >24M (721+ days). A chi-squared test and t-test were used to evaluate the statistical significance.
Results
244 patients were evaluated using a chi-squared test and t-test. The results revealed that average probing depths remained lower for patients who received periodontal maintenance (compliant) compared to patients who did not receive maintenance (non-compliant). Probing depths 6 months following osseous surgery decreased for both groups, compliant and non-compliant patients. After 6 months, average probing depths increased more significantly in non-compliant patients.
Conclusion
Lower probing depths were found to be statistically significant in patients who were compliant with periodontal maintenance post osseous surgery. These results supported findings noted in Becker’s study, which found that disease progression in patients who had periodontal therapy that wasn’t followed with regular maintenance recalls was similar to that in untreated periodontitis patients. It can be concluded that more frequent and diligent periodontal maintenance following periodontal therapy helps to limit disease recurrence and progression.