EFFECTIVENESS OF NON SURGICAL THERAPY ON PERIODONTAL POCKETS IN PATIENTS WITH MODERATE CHRONIC PERIODONTITIS SEEN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA DENTAL SCHOOL CLINIC

Abstract

BACKGROUND: One of the sequelae of periodontal disease is 
pocket formation. The extent of therapy to eradicate the disease 
depends on the severity of the disease. Treatment can be achieved 
by either non-surgical or surgical therapy. Non-surgical therapy is 
normally instituted first and depending on outcome, a surgical 
therapy can be planned for.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the 
effectiveness of non-surgical periodontal therapy on pocket 
reduction in Ghanaian patients with moderate chronic periodontitis.

METHODS: The study was interventional, spanning a period of 5 
months for each patient. Twenty (20) patients with pocket depth 5 –
7 mm between the ages of 30 – 81 years were treated using hand 
and ultrasonic instrumentation at the University of Ghana Dental 
School clinic (UGDS). Periodontal parameters measured include 
plaque scores, bleeding on probing (BOP) scores, probing pocket 
depth (PPD), probing attachment level (PAL) and gingival 
recession. Significance level was set at 0.05. 

RESULTS: Patients with a mean PPD of 5.5mm at baseline was 
reduced to 3.5 mm at the end of the period and the mean PAL of 
3.1mm reduced to 1.7 mm. The reductions were significant. Plaque 
scores and BOP scores were also significantly reduced. Recession 
recorded a mean increase which was insignificant.

CONCLUSIONS: Probing pocket depth 5 – 7 mm can be reduced 
significantly by a mean of 2mm in Ghanaian patients with chronic 
periodontitis, using oral hygiene measures, scaling and root 
planning.