Dentaltown April 2013 - (Page 102)

hygiene and prevention perio reports Air Polishing to Replace Subgingival Instrumentation Air polishing in the past used a bicarbonate of soda powder that was effective for plaque and stain removal, but damaging for the tissues. Today, glycine powder is available for air polishing that can be used with a new tip to polish subgingivally, reaching into both shallow and deep pockets. Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, compared full-mouth Glycine Powder Air Polishing (GPAP) to traditional scaling and root planing with curettes plus rubber cup polishing. All patients had undergone initial periodontal therapy prior to this study. Subjects were all found positive for intra-oral levels of P. gingivalis and T. forsythia. Probing depths ranged from 4mm to 9mm. Patients were instructed to rinse twice daily with 0.12 chlorhexidine mouthrinse for two weeks follow- ing treatment. Microbial and clinical indices were repeated at day 10 and day 90. At all time points, the patients receiving the subgingival GPAP had lower total viable bacterial counts in the moderate-to-deep pockets compared to those receiving instrumentation with curettes and rubber cup polishing. Patients found both treatment approaches comfortable. Air polishing with glycine power in subgingival pockets is more effective than using curettes to shift the oral flora from one conducive to infection to one more conducive to periodontal health. Clinical Implications: Despite our tradition of instrumenting all subgingival areas during a perio maintenance visit, these findings suggest that air polishing with glycine power in the subgingival areas just might be able to replace subgingival instrumentation with curettes. n Perio Reports Vol. 25, No. 4 Flemming, T., Arushanov, D., Daubert, D., Rothen, M., Mueller, G., Leroux, B.: Randomized controlled trial assessing efficacy and safety of glycine powder air polishing in moderate-to-deep periodontal pockets. J Perio 83:(4)444-452, 2012. www.hygienetown.com t Perio Reports provides easy-to-read research summaries on topics of specific interest to clinicians. Perio Reports research summaries will be included in each issue to keep you on the cutting edge of dental hygiene science. Lasers Used in Supportive Perio Therapy, No Added Value Laser therapy shows promise for bactericidal and detoxification effects. Lasers remove granulation tissue, plaque and calculus without harming tooth root surfaces. The Nd:YAG laser is often used as part of non-surgical therapy. It may be advantageous to use a laser in non-responding pockets encountered during periodontal supportive therapy. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands compared periodontal maintenance therapy with and without the adjunctive use of an Nd:YAG water-cooled laser. A total of 30 subjects who had been seen for regular periodontal maintenance care and still had 5mm probing depths with bleeding were included in the study. Each subject had an average of 11 treatable sites. After baseline data collection, all received supragingival and subgingival instrumenta- tion and oral hygiene instructions. Following this treatment, subjects were randomly assigned to either laser treatment or no further treatment. Laser treatment was applied subgingivally against the tissue for no more than 60 seconds per site. Subjects were instructed to rinse twice daily with 0.12 percent chlorhexidine mouthrinse for two weeks and were given a questionnaire to complete at home that evening and mail back the following day. Questions about pain, bleeding and medication needed were included. At six months subjects returned for clinical examination. No differences were observed between the groups. No added benefit was provided by the laser therapy for probing depths or bleeding. The laser treated group reported more pain, bleeding and swelling. Both groups improved significantly. Clinical Implications: Laser treatment might not provide added benefit to supportive therapy. n Slot, D., Timmerman, M., Versteeg, P., van der Velden, U., van der Weijden, F.: Adjunctive Clinical Effect of a Water-Cooled Nd:YAG Laser in a Periodontal Maintenance Care Programme: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Clin Perio 39: 1159-1165, 2012. 102 APRIL 2013 » dentaltown.com http://www.hygienetown.com http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown April 2013

Dentaltown.com Highlights
Howard Speaks: What Winners Do and Losers Don’t
Professional Courtesy: Three Cheers for IT
Continuing Education Update
Dentaltown Research: Lasers
“Funny Feeling” on Lower Right Jaw
Missing Laterals, Bonded Maryland Bridges, Ribbond or Something Else?
Corporate Profile: Henry Schein
New Products
Office Visit: A Giant in Dentistry
Do-it-Yourself Finance, Part V: Insurance
Two Techniques to Make a Bite Record for a Full-arch Case
Team Strength: What Drives Your Team to Do More?
Living by the Golden Dozen
Diagnosing Aesthetic Disharmonies
Cosmetic Case Presentation
Using Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill to Easily and Predictably Place Direct Posterior Restorations
Continuing Education: Utilizing Laser Procedures for Restorative Access
Product Profile: Imaging Sciences International’s i-CAT FLX
In This Issue: Preparing for the Future
Perio Reports
Ad Index
Profile in Oral Health: The RDH’s Approach to Periodontal Therapy: Past, Present and Future
Perio Maintenance
Dentally Incorrect
Dentaltown Special Supplement
Product Profile: Zimmer Dental
Full Lower – Converted to Immediate Load
Immediate Placement #19 and 20 with BSB
American Academy of Implant Dentistry 62nd Annual Meeting Preview
Raising Your Denture Patient to a Higher Standard
Back to the Future – Extractions and Small Diameter Implants for Overdentures
Continuing Education: Top Implantology Breakthroughs for the GP: Part 2

Dentaltown April 2013