OBJECTIVES

This pilot randomized controlled clinical trial compares the clinical outcome obtained in persistent periodontal pockets during 9-month follow-up of supportive periodontal step 4 treatment performed by either combining subgingival instrumentation with adjunctively used sodium hypochlorite/amino acid gel and crosslinked hyaluronic acid (xHyA) or subgingival instrumentation alone.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Study protocol is registered under NCT06438354 at Clinicaltrials.gov. Patients seeking further therapy after completed step 2 non-surgical periodontal treatment underwent either repeated subgingival instrumentation with adjunctive application of sodium hypochlorite/amino acid gel and crosslinked hyaluronic acid (group A) or repeated subgingival instrumentation alone (group B). One calibrated investigator performed the treatment sequence in both groups accordingly. Subgingival instrumentation of the residual pockets was carried out under local anaesthesia using hand- and ultrasonic instruments, as well as air polishing in both groups. Patients were instructed to continue oral hygiene without any restriction. At 3-month re-evaluation treatment was repeated accordingly at sites with persistent 5 mm probing depth and BoP + . Clinical attachment level (CAL), pocket probing depth (PPD), gingival recession (GR), and bleeding on probing (BoP) were recorded at baseline (T1), 3- (T2) and 9-month (T3) post-op, with CAL as a primary outcome measure.

RESULTS

In total 52 patients (20 females and 32 males, mean age 58.4 ± 2.4 years) presenting with 1448 sites which required further periodontal treatment were enrolled. Both groups exhibited homogeneity in terms of age, gender, smoking habit, initial number of sites, and BOP. At 9-month evaluation, PD reduction and CAL gain showed significant differences between the test and control group, favouring the adjunctive treatment. GR tended to exhibit more recovery in the test group compared to the control group. Although BOP frequency effectively reduced in both groups, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

Within the limits of the study, the present data indicates that, during subgingival instrumentation of persistent pockets, the adjunctive usage of sodium hypochlorite/amino acid gel and xHyA sufficiently improves the clinical outcomes. The continuous improvement of CAL in association with the GR scores observed in group A, indicates that sites subjected to adjunctive treatment may indicate a tendency for a regenerative response to treatment within the 9-month follow-up period.