Effectiveness of scaling and root planing for gingivitus/periodontal disease

Scaling and root planing (SRP) is a dental procedure that involves scraping stuff off of your teeth below the gumline.

Still trying to figure out how to get a probability vote by each paper...

• Recolonization of the Subgingival Microflora After Scaling and Root Planing in Human Periodontitis http://www.joponline.org/doi/abs/10.1902/jop.1990.61.9.579

  • SRP sites are recolonized by the same organisms within 60 days.
  • Darkfield data is insufficient for measuring this, as demonstrated by the cultures they took (note that this invalidates findings in many other studies).
  • Probing depth is improved for at least 60 days.
  • Gingival index not improved.

• The Effectiveness of Subgingival Scaling and Root Planing I. Clinical Detection of Residual Calculus http://www.joponline.org/doi/abs/10.1902/jop.1990.61.1.3

  • 57% of sites had residual calculus after SRP
  • Evaluators (not having the benefit of an extracted tooth and microscope) basically can't tell; 77% false negative rate and 12% false positive rate.

• Coming soon when I'm on my other computer: more experienced operators are better, but no one effectively cleans around furcations (root branching points).

Compared with Er:YAG laser treatment

WIP / more later