Effects of post-surgical cleansing protocols on early plaque control in periodontal and/or periimplant wound healing

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this RCT was to evaluate early wound healing following specific post-surgical care protocols. Material and Methods: Following periodontal flap surgery, 60 patients were randomly assigned to follow one of two post-surgical protocols. Subjects smoking > 20 cigarettes per day were excluded. Patients following the control protocol rinsed twice daily for 1 min with 0.1% of chlorhexidine (CHX) for 4 weeks. In addition to CHX rinsing, patients assigned to the test protocol applied CHX locally using a special very soft surgical toothbrush (Chirugia®) from days 3 to 14, and a soft toothbrush (Ultrasuave®) from days 14 to 28, twice daily. Baseline measurements included gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) flow rate, probing depth, probing attachment level, presence of bleeding on probing and full-mouth plaque score. Measurements were repeated at 1, 2 and 4 weeks after surgery. Results: Both post-surgical protocols resulted in successful wound healing and optimal wound closure at 4 weeks. There were no statistical differences in the GCF flow rate between test and control protocols. There was a lower incidence of recession of ≥ 2 mm following the test protocol. Conclusion: The use of specific post-surgical cleansing protocols including the introduction of mechanical cleansing at day 3, using local application of CHX in addition to daily rinsing with CHX may be recommended. © Blackwell Munksgaard, 2004.