Impact of C-reactive Protein on Non Surgical Periodontal Treatment

This trial was conducted in accordance with the World Medical Association's Declaration of Helsinki of 1975, and reviewed in 2016. The local ethical committee approved the study protocol and each patient was carefully informed about the possible inherent risks of the study and provided their informed written consent. Subjects with a diagnosis of periodontitis were enrolled in this clinical trial. The inclusion criteria were: 1) good condition of general health, 2) a minimum of 2 teeth for each quadrant with a Pocket Depth (PD) ranging from 4-6 mm, 3) no involvement of the furcation, 4) a minimum of six teeth per quadrant, respectively. The exclusion criteria were: 1) periodontal therapy during the last 12 months, 2) assumption of antibiotics during the last 6 months, 3) pregnancy, 4) any systemic condition which might affect the effects of the study treatment, 5) previous or current radiation or immunosuppressive therapies, 5) use of mouthwash containing antimicrobials during the previous 3 months, 6) no use of hormonal contraceptives, 7) medication by anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs, 8) previous history of hard-drinking, 9) smoking, 10) class II and III tooth mobility. The primary outcome was the analysis of NSPT performed with either MINST or Q-SRP on periodontal parameters and tooth loss and on serum CRP expression changes between groups after 1- and also 8 years. Furthermore, The secondary objective was to examine the influence and interaction between NSPT protocol (MINST used as a reference) and the duration of treatment on serum CRP changes, as well as whether high baseline CRP levels influenced the efficacy of NSPT after 1-year follow-up. Variations for PD, CAL, FMBS, FMPS, PISA, Lp-PLA2 and CRP were collected and analyzed at 1, 3-, 6-month and at 1-year follow-up.

Patients randomly undergo Q-SRP or MINST non surgical periodontal treatment performed in one session.

All patients underwent an initial session with supragingival debridement. In addition, they received detailed information about the aetiology of periodontitis and individualized oral hygiene instructions, which included inter-dental plaque control and toothbrushing using a modified Bass technique. All participants were provided with the same type of toothbrush and toothpaste§ as well as interdental brushes‖.

The NSPT was achieved by both hand and ultrasonic instrumentation using a No. 5/6/7 tip according to operator preference. In both groups, the ultrasonic device was used with constant water irrigation and with a 20 Hz of frequency at a 60 µn power setting. Patients in the Q-SRP group received quadrant scaling in four different sessions with an interval of 1 week between each quadrant treatment session. Each patient's first session started in the upper right maxillary quadrant.

MINST was performed under local anaesthesia through careful subgingival debridement using ultrasonic scalers with specific thin tips# and Gracey micro-curettes** to minimize the trauma for the soft tissues. Under 3.5x magnification loupes, supra- and subgingival deposits were thoroughly debrided. After the operation, there was no subgingival rinsing to promote the establishment of a stable blood clot.

No mouthwashes, antibiotics or other drugs were prescribed after treatment. At the end of each treatment session, patients were instructed and motivated to perform personal oral hygiene. Moreover, oral hygiene procedures were reinforced at 3 and 6 months after treatment.

After the protocol, patients were enrolled in a maintenance program and recalled for clinical measurements at 1-, 3-, 6-months and 1-year follow-ups. For each patient, a custom-tailored SPT regimen was prescribed to avoid potential mechanical damage at the surgically treated region and enhance plaque reduction using a gentle roll technique for toothbrushing and interproximal cleaning devices.