LAUSR

BACKGROUND The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of supragingival plaque control on the recurrence of periodontitis (RP) and the achievement of a stable periodontal clinical endpoint after 10 years of periodontal maintenance therapy (PMT). MATERIALS AND METHODS The present retrospective cohort study included 225 individuals in continuous PMT. Plaque index (PI) determining the oral hygiene (OH) status, periodontal clinical parameters and other variables of interest were collected at 3 time points: T1 [prior to active periodontal therapy (APT)], T2 (after APT), and T3 (10 years after T2). According to PI records at T3, participants were categorized into: 1) good OH - PI ≤30% (GOH; n = 63); 2) fair OH - PI >30% ≤40% (FOH); n = 73) and 3) poor OH - PI >40% (POH; n = 88). Data was analyzed using the Chi-square, Student t and ANOVA tests, mediation and regression analyses. RESULTS Significant differences in all periodontal clinical parameters between GOH, FOH and POH groups were observed at T3. POH group exhibited higher mean BOP, PD, and CAL, as well as higher tooth loss (POH>FOH>GOH; p<0.001). There was an increased risk for RP in FOH (OR = 2.02; 1.10-4.38) and POH (OR = 4.33; 2.17-8.65) groups. Moreover, FOH and POH groups had a ∼2.5 and ∼6.0 times greater chance of not achieving a stable periodontal clinical endpoint, respectively. CONCLUSIONS After 10 years of monitoring in PMT, individuals with higher PI scores (>30%) presented unhealthier periodontal status and higher risk for RP and lower chance of achieving ≤ 4 sites with PD ≥ 5mm. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.