This is a prospective cohort study describing the difference in terms of percentage of closed pockets (PPD <5 mm and no BOP) when performing the periodontal re-evaluation at 3-4, 6-8 or 12 months. The trial will follow the recommendations of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement. The study consists of 7 visits over a period of 15 months.
Visit 1 - Baseline -
- Informed consent, medical/dental history and demographics
- Record concomitant medications and smoking history
- Periodontal assessment by a blind and calibrated examiner, consisting of full mouth PPD, REC, BOP, PI, mobility and furcation involvement. PPD, REC, PI and BOP will be recorded at 6 sites per tooth.
- Standardized peri-apical x-rays for the sites with PPD≥5mm, as per standard of practice (if not already available within the previous 6 months)
- Intra-oral 3D scan
- Oral hygiene instructions and demonstration of self-performed oral hygiene measures
- PROMs questionnaires
- Saliva collection and GCF collection from the deepest pockets (maximum of 5 sites)
Visit 2 and 3 - NSPT - (and extra visit 3.1 and 3.2 if needed) (within 60 days from baseline)
- Update medical/dental history and record adverse events and/or concomitant medications
- NSPT, consisting in the careful removal of hard and soft deposits with ultrasonic instruments at infected sites performed by an experienced clinician following the principles of minimally invasive non-surgical therapy (MINST). A quadrant approach will be adopted and it will be left to the discretion of the clinician to choose whether to instrument 1 or 2 quadrants at a time and the length of session visits. Hence, 2 to 4 sessions of NSPT with an interval of 1 week between each other will be performed. During NSPT, teeth considered hopeless will be extracted as per standard of practice.
- Reinforcement of oral hygiene instructions
- PROMs questionnaires
Extra visits outside the study protocol may be arranged in case the patients need extractions or other dental treatments besides NSPT.
Visit 4 (4-6 weeks from the end of NSPT)
- Update medical/dental history and record adverse events and/or concomitant medications
- Visual inspection of signs of inflammation and plaque
- Supragingival polish and reinforcement of oral hygiene instructions
- PROMs questionnaires
- Intra-oral 3D scan
Visit 5 (3-4 months from the end of NSPT)
- Update medical/dental history and record adverse events and/or concomitant medications
- Periodontal assessment by a blind and calibrated examiner, consisting of full mouth PPD, REC, BOP, PI, mobility and furcation involvement. PPD, REC, PI and BOP will be recorded at 6 sites per tooth.
- PROMs questionnaires
- Intra-oral 3D scan
- Saliva collection and GCF collection from the same sites identified at baseline
- Supragingival polish and reinforcement of oral hygiene instructions
Visit 6 (6-8 months from the end of NSPT)
- Update medical/dental history and record adverse events and/or concomitant medications
- Periodontal assessment by a blind and calibrated examiner, consisting of full mouth PPD, REC, BOP, PI, mobility and furcation involvement. PPD, REC, PI and BOP will be recorded at 6 sites per tooth.
- PROMs questionnaires
- Intra-oral 3D scan
- Saliva collection and GCF collection from the same sites identified at baseline
- Supragingival polish and reinforcement of oral hygiene instructions
Visit 7 (12 months ± 14 days from the end of NSPT)
- Update medical/dental history and record adverse events and/or concomitant medications
- Periodontal assessment by a blind and calibrated examiner, consisting of full mouth PPD, REC, BOP, PI, mobility and furcation involvement. PPD, REC, PI and BOP will be recorded at 6 sites per tooth.
- PROMs questionnaires
- Intra-oral 3D scan
- Standardized peri-apical x-rays
- Saliva collection and GCF collection from the same sites identified at baseline
- Supragingival polish and reinforcement of oral hygiene instructions
Photos and videos may be taken/recorded in any of the study visits for documentation purposes. The subject will not be identifiable from those photos/videos.