Porcine-derived soft block bone substitutes for the treatment of severe class II furcation-involved mandibular molars: a prospective controlled follow-up study.

PURPOSE: No evidence exists regarding the advantages of periodontal regeneration treatment for furcation defects using soft block bone substitutes. Therefore, this randomized controlled trial aimed to assess the clinical and radiographic outcomes of regenerative therapy using porcine-derived soft block bone substitutes (DPBM-C, test group) compared with porcine-derived particulate bone substitutes (DPBM, control group) for the treatment of severe class II furcation defects in the mandibular molar regions. METHODS: Thirty-five enrolled patients (test group, n=17; control group, n=18) were available for a 12-month follow-up assessment. Clinical (probing pocket depth [PPD] and clinical attachment level [CAL]) and radiographic (vertical furcation defect; VFD) parameters were evaluated at baseline and 6 and 12 months after regenerative treatment. Early postoperative discomfort (severity and duration of pain and swelling) and wound healing outcomes (dehiscence, suppuration, abscess formation, and swelling) were also assessed 2 weeks after surgery. RESULTS: For both treatment modalities, significant improvements in PPD, CAL, and VFD were found in the test group (PPD reduction of 4.1±3.0 mm, CAL gain of 4.4±2.9 mm, and VFD reduction of 4.1±2.5 mm) and control group (PPD reduction of 2.7±2.0 mm, CAL gain of 2.0±2.8 mm, and VFD reduction of 2.4±2.5 mm) 12 months after the regenerative treatment of furcation defects (P<0.05). However, no statistically significant differences were found in any of the measured clinical and radiographic parameters, and no significant differences were observed in any early postoperative discomfort and wound healing outcomes between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Similar to DPBM, DPBM-C showed favorable clinical and radiographic outcomes for periodontal regeneration of severe class II furcation defects in a 12-month follow-up period. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0007305.

A retrospective epidemiological investigation of periodontitis risk and current smoking status based on the number of cigarettes per day and the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence: a preliminary pilot study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the risk of periodontitis according to current smoking status based on the number of cigarettes smoked per day (CPD) and the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). METHODS: All enrolled patients were diagnosed and classified according to the new periodontal classification scheme, and current smoking status was investigated via a self-reported questionnaire. The correlation between smoking status (CPD and FTND) and periodontitis risk (severity of periodontitis and tooth loss due to periodontal reasons) was statistically assessed using Spearman correlation coefficients. Moreover, partial correlation analyses between smoking and periodontal status were performed after adjusting for age, sex, and diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: Overall, data from 74 men and 16 women (mean age: 48.1±10.8 years) were evaluated. The mean number of missing teeth, CPD, and FTND score were 3.5±5.2, 24.6±15.5, and 3.5±2, respectively. CPD and the FTND were significantly positively correlated with each other (r=0.741, P<0.001). CPD and the FTND were also significantly correlated with the severity of periodontitis (CPD: r=0.457, P<0.05 and FTND: r=0.326, P<0.05) and the number of missing teeth due to periodontal reasons (CPD: r=0.525, P<0.05 and FTND: r=0.480, P<0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study, both CPD and the FTND were significantly correlated with the severity of periodontitis and the number of periodontally compromised extracted teeth.