One-stage full-mouth disinfection. Long-term microbiological results analyzed by checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization

Background: Recent studies reported significant, additional clinical and mi crobiological improvements when severe adult periodontitis was treated via the one-stage full-mouth (OSFM) disinfection approach, instead of a standar d treatment scheme with staged instrumentation per quadrant. The OSFM disin fection involves dealing with the remaining oropharyngeal niches such as to nsils, saliva, tongue, and mucosa. The OSFM disinfection procedure involves scaling and root planing of all pockets within 24 hours in combination wit h chlorhexidine application to all oropharyngeal niches (chairside and at h ome for 2 months). This study aimed to compare the microbiological shifts w ith the OSFM approach versus standard therapy. Methods: Nineteen patients with advanced chronic periodontitis (AP) and 12 patients with early-onset periodontitis (EOP) were randomly assigned to the test and control groups. The control group (9 AP patients, 6 EOP patients) was scaled and root planed, per quadrant, with 2-week intervals. The test group (10 AP patients and 6 EOP patients) underwent OSFM disinfection treat ment. At baseline and after 2, 4, and 8 months, pooled subgingival plaque s amples were taken from single- and multi-rooted teeth. The presence and lev els of 30 subgingival taxa were determined using whole genomic DNA probes a nd checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization. Results: Both treatments resulted in important reductions of the pathogenic species up to 8 months after therapy, both for their detection level and f requency. The OSFM disinfection resulted in an additional improvement, espe cially in the AP group. P. gingivalis and B. forsythus were reduced below d etection level. The number of beneficial species remained nearly unchanged. Conclusions: The OSFM disinfection results in supplementary reductions of p eriodontal pathogens even after 8 months in the treatment of patients with advanced or early-onset periodontitis.