Meta-analysis of the effect of scaling and root planing, surgical treatment and antibiotic therapies on periodontal probing depth and attachment loss

Abstracts on both these pages have been chosen and edited by Dr Trevor Watts

Abstract

There is difficulty in combining different studies in a meta-analysis, but all these therapies appear to have some useful effects.

Main

Hung H-C, Douglass CW J Clin Periodontol 2002; 29: 975–986

This study examined scaling and root planing effects in relation to modified Widman flap surgery and 3 types of locally delivered antimicrobial therapy. Meta-analysis was performed on reported studies with < 20% dropouts in the first year, and adequate information for inclusion. Not all studies used constant force probes, and longitudinal comparisons were made, which means that bias may have played a part in results.

Shallow initial PD was unaffected by treatment, sites of 4–6 mm PD reduced by a mean 1 mm, and deeper sites by 2 mm, with about 0.5 mm PAL gain. Surgery increased improvements as sites became deeper, but the difference with root planing decreased with length of follow-up. Use of tetracycline, metronidazole and minocycline preparations following root planing led to minor adjunctive improvements overall. The authors conclude that both patients and dentists have choices to make regarding these therapies.