Prospective study of adult subjects with gingivitis

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Background: The objective of this study was to monitor prospectively clinical parameters in subjects without signs of
destructive periodontal disease who were involved in a primary prevention programme, and to determine the
changes that occurred between yearly examinations over a 3-year period.
Material and Methods: One hundred and twenty-six subjects aged at least 20 years with a maximum of two tooth
sites with probing pocket depth (PPD)>4 mm and no proximal sites with clinical attachment loss participated in the
study. Primary prevention was provided at baseline of the study and then every 6 months. Plaque, bleeding on
probing (BoP) and PPD were scored at baseline, 1, 2 and 3 years.
Results: There were no significant changes in the plaque score over the 3 years. After year 1, the BoP score was
significantly improved with 5.6%, while no further improvement in BoP was found at years 2 and 3. The mean PPD
decreased from 2.3 to 2.1 mm over the 3 years (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Although some individuals exhibiting minor signs of periodontal pathology may have benefited from the
primary prevention, the overall clinical improvement was limited for such subjects in the present 3-year study.
Key words: Gingivitis, adults. J Bagh Coll Dentistry 2009; 21(2):82-86)