Assessment of supracrestal tissue attachment variation in patients with chronic periodontitis before and after treatment: A clinical-radiographic study

Abstract

Background/Aim. Healthy periodontium comprises the dento-gingival junction. Periodontal disease starts to appear when the integrity of the junctional epithelium is disturbed. Assessment of the supracrestal tissue attachment (SCTA) is essential because there is a frequent need for restoration or prosthesis after periodontal surgical and non-surgical thera-py. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the SCTA variations in a patients with chronic periodontitis before and after treatment. Methods. Thirty systemically healthy patients with periodontitis were enrolled in the study. Fif-teen patients were subjected to scaling and root planing and 15 to open flap debridement. Radiographic and clinical find-ings of the SCTA were assessed before and after treatment at 3-month and 6-month intervals. Results. Comparison between clinical and radiographic findings of the SCTA showed a significant difference in patients with periodontitis (p < 0.05). This difference was not significant after treat-ment of patients with shallow pockets with scaling and root planing (p > 0.05), but showed a significant difference in pa-tients with moderate pockets treated by open flap debride-ment (p < 0.05). Conclusion. Progression in periodontal disease causes a reduction in the SCTA dimension, which regains its original dimensions after periodontal therapy. It takes around 3 months for the shallow pockets to regain the supracrestal tissue attachment to the original dimension when treated by scaling and root planing, whereas moderate pockets regain it after 6 months when treated with open flap debridement.