[The effect of an extended initial therapy on molars and single-rooted teeth]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the benefits of an initial periodontal therapy consisting of a single subgingival root debridement procedure followed by repeated monthly subgingival irrigations over a period of 6 months in 23 patients with multiple advanced periodontal lesions. The clinical and microbiological data of the test group indicated that the applied irrigation scheme was successful in maintaining improvements of periodontal health over a period of 6 months. There were no statistically significant differences in effectiveness between sites in molars and single-rooted teeth. On the other hand, negative controls treated only by a single root debridement procedure displayed a tendency towards pretreatment levels.