Evaluation of the Effect of Initial Periodontal Treatment with Additional Occlusal Adjustment on Quality of Life and Tooth Mobility

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this research was to evaluate the short-term effects of initial periodontal treatment (IPT) with occlusal adjustment (OA) on lower incisors on Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), clinical parameters such as probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BoP), gingival index (GI), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and tooth mobility using the periostest device in 30 patients with periodontitis.
METHODS: The patients were randomly divided into two equal groups as the test and control groups. The control group received IPT alone, while the test group received IPT+OA. The OA was applied to only four lower incisors (42,41,31,32) and data were recorded at baseline (T0) and at one month after treatment (T1).
RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the total OHIP-14 scores between the groups. The inter-group comparison revealed a significant difference in the GI of 42 teeth and in the CAL of 41 teeth (p<0.05). A significant difference was observed in the periotest value of 42 teeth between the time points (p<0.05). There was a significant difference in the clinical periodontal parameters in both groups at T0 and T1, while there was a significant difference in the tooth mobility of 42 teeth in the test group (p<0.05).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In conclusion, IPT yields positive effects on clinical periodontal parameters in both groups in both time points. However, IPT combined with OA seems not to be superior to IPT only as evidenced by OHIP-14 scores, periodontal parameters, and tooth mobility in the short-term. Further long-term studies are needed to draw more reliable conclusions.