Autologous Fibrin Glue Application as an Adjunct to Nonsurgical Periodontal Treatment of Chronic Periodontitis

Overview

Chronic periodontitis is an inflammatory and polymicrobic disease characterized by the irreversible loss of alveolar bone and connective tissue attachment of the teeth. Chronic periodontitis is the most prevalent type of periodontitis and it is seen in the great majority of the adult population. The main objective of periodontal treatment is to heal the inflammatory tissue, to eliminate unhealthy periodontal pockets, and to reduce the number of pathogenic bacteria. The traditional treatment of chronic periodontitis is debridement performed with hand tools and ultrasonic devices. However, in deep pockets, which are difficult to access, mechanical root surface debridement is not sufficient to remove the biofilm via root instrumentation. The regeneration of the periodontium aims at the reconstitution of the periodontal ligament, alveolar bone, and cementum. Platelet concentrates have gained popularity in regenerative periodontal therapy due to their autologous nature. Their regenerative potential is associated with growth factors such as TGFβ-1, PDGF, EGF, IGF-I, and VEGF, stimulate cell proliferation and regulate matrix remodeling and angiogenesis. Growth factors are naturally occurring proteins that regulate cell growth and development. They also modulate cell proliferation, migration, extracellular matrix formation and other cellular functions in epithelization. In addition, some growth factors may function as cell differentiation factors. These functions of the growth factors support epithelization following surgical periodontal treatment and reduce postoperative pain and swelling with their anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, studies have reported their antibacterial potentials. Different platelet concentrates such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) are obtained when whole blood is centrifuged at different speeds and for different durations. When the literature is reviewed, it is seen that these platelet concentrates are frequently used in regenerative therapies in dentistry. In 2010, Sohn et al. obtained autologous fibrin glue (AFG), an injectable platelet concentrate, by centrifuging venous blood for two minutes in a special centrifuge device (Medifuge, Silfradent, Italy; 2400-2700 rpm). AFG is used, by mixing it with bone grafts, in the production of sticky bone, which could be an alternative to titanium mesh and bone block procedures that enable grafts to remain more stable in defects. It was found in the literature review that studies on AFG, which is a second-generation platelet concentrate, are limited in number. It was also found that these studies were conducted on sticky bone, obtained by mixing AFG with bone grafts, and there are no studies in which AFG is used alone to treat periodontal diseases. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of AFG, an injectable platelet concentration, on clinical parameters in the nonsurgical treatment of chronic periodontitis.