Air-polishing or Conventional Treatment

Background: To effectively disrupt microbial biofilm and remove dental calculus with minimal damage to the root surface and soft tissues with limited patient discomfort constitute a significant tenet of periodontal therapy. The aim of the present prospective 12-month study was to compare clinical and microbiological effects following an erythritol air-polishing vs. conventional mechanical debridement of furcation defects in a cohort of periodontal maintenance patients. Methods: Twenty patients with grade II mandibular molar furcation defects volunteered to enroll in this study. In a split-mouth design, two furcation sites in each patient were randomly assigned to either receive subgingival debridement using erythritol air-polishing (test) or conventional ultrasonic/curette debridement (control) at baseline, and at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Probing depth, clinical attachment level and bleeding on probing were recorded at 3-month intervals. Subgingival microbiological samples obtained at baseline, 6 and 12 months were analyzed using checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization. Discomfort from treatment was scored at 12 months using a visual analogue scale.