A pilot study on the association between soft tissue volumetric changes and non-surgical periodontal treatment in stage III periodontitis patients. A case series study

Abstract

<p> Objectives: This study investigates the correlation between soft tissue volumetric changes and clinical periodontal parameters for patients suffering from Stage III periodontitis after non-surgical periodontal treatment (NSPT) via intraoral scanning. Methodology: The following study is a case series pilot study involving twenty-eight Stage III Periodontitis patients. All subjects received full-mouth periodontal examination and intra-oral scanning cat baseline and re-evaluation. NSPT with bi-weekly oral hygiene reviews were carried out, and re-evaluation was performed after 10–12 weeks. Baseline scanned data of all subjects would be superimposed with the corresponding scanned data obtained during re-evaluation to ensure the teeth are in the correct alignment. Boolean subtraction would be performed with the 3D scanned data after superimposition and transformation into a 3D solid. The association of baseline clinical parameters and changes after NSPT with soft tissue volumetric changes up to tooth surface level would be evaluated. Results and conclusion: Mean volumetric reduction after NSPT was 153.45 mm³ ± 185.30 mm³ and 124.06 mm³ ± 124.17 mm³ for the maxillary and mandibular arch, respectively. A statistically significant correlation was detected between soft tissue volumetric reduction to baseline and post-treatment clinical periodontal parameters. Posterior teeth were found to have the highest reduction in soft tissue volume. According to this pilot study, baseline clinical periodontal parameters (PPD, CAL, BOP) correlate with the soft tissue volumetric reduction after NSPT. Further studies on a larger scale and utilization of digital means on tooth sites would be necessary to strengthen the proof of concept. Clinical significance: Intraoral scanning can be a valid non-invasive method to assess soft tissue volumetric changes after initial periodontal treatment, which are correlated to changes in the baseline clinical periodontal parameters. <br></p>