Clinical and inflammatory evaluation of Perioscopy on patients with chronic periodontitis.

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the clinical and inflammatory changes produced in chronic, non-responsive periodontitis sites when comparing traditional scaling and root planing with scaling and root-planning using Perioscopy The sample size consisted of six patients who exhibited chronic periodontitis after completing initial therapy and under going periodontal maintenance for at least one year. The study was a within patient match site design. In which each patient had six to eight periodontal pockets measuring 5 mm to 8 mm. Half of the sites in each patients mouth were treated with scaling and root planing only (control group) and the other half of the sites were treated with scaling and root planing plus Perioscopy (experimental group). At one month evaluations, 50% of the control sites had a decrease of > 2 mm (11 out of 22 sites) and 55% of the experimental sites had a decrease in pocket depth of > 2 mm (12 out of 22 sites). When comparisons were made between baseline and three month evaluations of total pocket depths, 55% of the control sites had a decrease of > 2 mm (10 out of 22 sites). Chi-Square statistical analysis at one and three month evaluations showed non-significant decreases in pocket depth among control sites and experimental sites (p = 0.76, p = 0.55). At baseline, IL-1 mean levels and control sites were 43.47 pg/ml and 37.29 pg/ml for experimental for one month evaluation. II-1_mean levels were 33.03 pg/ml for control sites and 32.29 pg/ml for experimental sites. At the three month evaluation. IL-1 mean levels were 15.33 pg/ml for control sites and 14.42 pg/ml for experimental sites. Statistical t-test analysis assuming unequal variances at baseline, months one and three showed non-significant trends between control and experimental sites (p = 0.27, p = 0.47, p = 0.45). At baseline, PGE2, levels were 18.85 pg/ml for the control group abd 24,013 pg/ml for experimental sites. At one moth, PGE2 levels were 15.16 pg/ml for control sites and 16.23 pg/ml for experimental sites. At the three month evaluation, PGE2 levels were 14.18 pg/ml for the control sites and 15.92 pg/ml for the experimental group. T-test analysis of unequal variance showed non-significant trends in the data at baseline, one and three months for PGE2 (p = 0.26, p = 0.40, p = 0.31). The intent of this pilot study was to compare the changes in periodontal pocket depths and inflammatory markers of the control (scaling and root planing) and experimental (scaling and root planing with Perioscopy) sites. Analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in clinical and inflammatory analysis of the control sites and experimental sites though the three month evaluation period. Further studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of Perioscopy with a longer evaluation period.