Effectiveness of adjunctive irrigation in early periodontitis: multi-center evaluation

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of daily water irrigation versus regular oral hygiene alone on gingival and periodontal health in periodontitis patients receiving supportive periodontal treatment. The study also sought to determine if there are enhanced benefits from using an antiplaque zinc sulfate rinse as an irrigant. One hundred fifty-five patients who have had periodontitis and had been treated either surgically or non-surgically completed the 6-month multi-center multi-national study. Patients with at least two 5 mm sites demonstrating bleeding on probing were assigned to 3 equal groups by balanced randomization. In all centers Group A (n = 57) performed regular oral hygiene only, and Group B (n = 58) irrigated with 500 ml water once daily after regular oral hygiene. Group C (n = 40) patients irrigated with a total of 500 ml once daily; following irrigation with 300 ml water, the patients then irrigated with an additional 200 ml with a zinc sulfate solution. The irrigants were diluted to provide the manufacturer's recommended daily dosage. The supragingival irrigation was performed with a commercially available oral irrigator. Bacterial measurements at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months were taken to determine the effect of irrigation on the target organisms and will be reported elsewhere. Gingival index: irrigation with water (Group B) was significantly better than normal oral hygiene (Group A) and irrigation with zinc sulfate (Group C) (P < 0.05) in reducing gingival inflammation. Bleeding on probing: significant reductions in bleeding on probing occurred for water (Group B) compared to normal oral hygiene (Group A) (P < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)