Efficacy of an Oscillating Chitosan Brush Versus an Air Abrasive Device in the Management of Peri-Implant Mucositis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

This randomized, prospective clinical trial was conducted to compare the effectiveness of the oscillating chitosan brush (OCB) and an air-abrasive device (AAD) in improving clinical outcomes during non-surgical management of peri-implant mucositis. Fifty-eight patients were randomized and received baseline treatment; of these, 50 completed the 6-month follow-up. Probing pocket depth (PPD), bleeding on probing (BoP), and plaque index (PI) were assessed at six locations per implant and measured again at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months post-treatment. Differences between groups and time points were analyzed using non-parametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis, Dunn, Friedman, and Fisher’s Exact Test). Both treatment groups demonstrated significant improvements in PPD, BoP, and PI at the 6-month evaluation compared to baseline (p < 0.05). At 24 weeks, the OCB group showed faster reductions in PPD and PI compared with the AAD group (p = 0.03 and p = 0.01, respectively), while BoP did not differ significantly (p = 0.41). Considering the constraints of this 6-month clinical study, the non-surgical management of peri-implant mucositis using both OCB and AAD resulted in comparable clinical outcomes. Both approaches demonstrated a consistent ability to improve clinical parameters associated with this condition.