BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to examine the long-term effect of diode laser therapy on periodontal pockets with regard to its bactericidal abilities and the improvement of periodontal condition. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty patients were randomly subdivided into two groups (laser-group and control-group) and microbiologic samples were collected. There have bee...

AIM To evaluate the effect of cigarette smoking on periodontal health at patient, tooth, and site levels following supportive therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eighty chronic periodontitis patients, 40 smokers and 40 non-smokers, were recruited to a single-arm clinical trial. Periodontal examinations were performed at baseline (T0), 3 months following active periodontal therapy (T1), and 12 mont...

OBJECTIVES The frequency of gingival and periodontal disease in HIV-seropositive and AIDS patients was investigated in order to evaluate the oral hygiene benefits of using mechanical therapy. STUDY DESIGN thirty-two consenting HIV-positive patients were examined. Their gingival and periodontal status were evaluated using the Gingival Index and the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index. The data were ...

Systemic antibiotics are increasingly used in the treatment of periodontal infections. Whilst these drugs are used mostly on an empirical basis, some physicians contend that rational use of antibiotics should be the norm due to their wide abuse and global emergence of antibiotic-resistant organisms. This is a review of the principles and rational antimicrobial therapy, treatment goals, drug del...

Several large randomized controlled clinical trials failed to find that standard periodontal therapy during pregnancy reduces the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes (eg, preterm birth and low birthweight). However, treating periodontal disease during pregnancy may be too late to reduce the inflammation that is related to the adverse pregnancy outcomes. Moreover, periodontal treatment durin...