Effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy (IV). Operator variability.

Healing following non-surgical periodontal therapy was studied and the results of instrumentation performed by 6 operators compared. Incisors, cuspids and premolars with periodontal pockets up to 11 mm deep in 20 patients were treated by plaque control and a single episode of supra- and subgingival debridement. A split-mouth approach was used to compare the participating therapists. The effects of the therapy were monitored using changes in plaque score, bleeding score, probing pocket depth and probing attachment level. Marked improvement, similar to that seen in previous studies evaluating non-surgical therapy was noted during the initial 6-9 months. No further changes of the recorded parameters could be observed during the rest of the 24-month observation period. Differences between sites treated by the various operators were negligible. Thus, it appears, that deep periodontal pockets in incisors, cuspids and premolars may be successfully treated by plaque control and 1 episode of instrumentation and that operator variability may be limited.