The purpose of this research project is to gain information on the best and most comfortable way to treat the periodontal disease. The main objective is to compare the efficacy of conventional scaling and root planning compared to laser scaling for the non-surgical treatment of periodontal disease. Both therapies have shown to be effective and are regularly used in the dental clinic.
The study has been designed as a single blinded split-mouth randomized controlled clinical trial. Patients will be randomized prior to treatment, to which the examiner will be blinded. Clinical parameters will be recorded at baseline and 3 months after treatment has been completed. At the time of recruitment, inclusion/exclusion criteria checklist, informed consent and baseline measurements will be obtained and recorded. Medical history will be updated and radiographs will be reviewed or taken. During the second appointment, conventional scaling and root planing will be performed in the corresponding quadrant; during the third appointment, laser therapy will be conducted, 1 month after, during the forth appointment, a follow up (no measurements) will be scheduled with provider, and 3 months after scaling completion, measurements will be taken and periodontal maintenance performed. Patient will receive home care instructions at every visit and will fill out a visual analogue scale at baseline, 1 month and 3 month visit.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
29
A non-surgical procedure that treats periodontal disease, sometimes called a deep cleaning, is considered the "gold standard" (standard of care) of treatment for patients with chronic periodontitis.
This laser is intended to be used for dental surgery. The Er:YAG Laser emits an infrared beam which is readily absorbed by water contained by both hard and soft tissues of the human body. As a result, energy of the laser beam instantly vaporizes the water molecules in soft and hard tissues of the tooth and surrounding tissues causing the tissues to crumble away or resection of the soft tissues of gingival.
11/12 and 13/14 gracey, 4R/4L curette and sickle - standard of care choices for performing scaling and root planing.
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine
New York, New York, United States
Change in Clinical Attachment Level (CAL)
Calculated based on distance from CEJ to gingival margin and the pocket depth (site specific measurement)
Time frame: 3 months after treatment
Change in Pocket Depth (PD)
Measured at 6 sites per tooth in millimeters (mm) (site specific measurement). The mean value of the measurements was obtained for both treatment groups by averaging all teeth for each quadrant.
Time frame: 3 months after treatment
Plaque Index (PI)
Plaque and calculus accumulation on tooth surfaces (site specific measurement). Plaque Index is calculated by \[number of sites with plaque\] divided by \[number of sites evaluated\], multiplied by 100 (represented as a percent).
Time frame: 3 months after treatment
Bleeding on Probing (BoP)
Bleeding after probing the pocket (site specific measurement). BoP is calculated by: \[number of bleeding sites\] divided by \[number of sites evaluated\], multiplied by 100 (represented as a percent).
Time frame: 3 months after treatment
Average Duration of Treatment
Comparison of duration of treatment between the 2 modalities
Time frame: Time between the start of treatment to treatment completion, up to 180 minutes
Number of Participants Who Preferred Modality
Participants were given 2 multiple choice questions to assess their modality of preference and the reasoning behind it.
Time frame: 3 months after treatment
Number of Patients Who Experienced a Better Improvement in Sensitivity
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A numeric scale was completed by participants to assess their degree of sensitivity or pain with a modified 0 - 10 scale (i.e.: 0- no pain/sensitivity; 5- moderate pain or sensitivity, may require medication; 10- unbearable sensitivity or pain that impairs my sleep). Baseline and 3 months reported scores were compared within each patient and between modalities. The numbers reported are participants that experienced a better improvement in sensitivity within the respective modality.
Time frame: Baseline and 3 months