Material and Methods: 51 adult volunteers with generalized moderate chronic periodontitis were treated by full mouth SRP using either 0.9% sodium chloride (group A, n=18), 0.12% chlorhexidine digluconate (group B, n=17) or povidone iodine (group C, n=16) for rinsing during SRP. At baseline (0), after 3(1) and 12(2) months PD, BOP and CAL were recorded in a 6-point measurement. Gingival crevicular fluid was collected at 4 teeth with PD=4-6mm for quantitative real time PCR analysis of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia and Treponema denticola. Nonparametric tests were used for statistical analysis.
Results: The results were as follows: PD A0-3.03±0.43mm 1-2.85±0.57 2-2.67±0.33, B0-2.98±0.42 1-2.46±0.53 2-2.59±0.40, C0-2.98±0.34 1-2.60±0.23 2-2.54±0.33; BOP A0-33±17% 1-17±13 2-17±13, B0-30±20 1-14±13 2-13±10, C0-43±19 1-22±18 2-18±15; CAL A0-3.32±0.73 1-3.09±0.71 2-3.11±0.67, B0-3.39±0.56 1-3.02±0.69 2-3.17±0.71, C0-3.26±0.40 1-2.87±0.38 2-2.88±0.57. PD was significantly reduced in all groups (p<0.001 – p=0.002), group 2 was better than group 1 after 3 month (p=0.041). BOP was significantly better in all groups (p<0.001 – p=0.002) but without significant differences between the groups. CAL was significantly better in all groups after 3 months, in group B and C also after 12 months (p<0.001, p=0.044) but without significant difference between the groups. Porphyromonas gingivalis was significantly reduced in group C after 12 months (positive samples 95 % vs. 35 %, p=0.023). Tannerella forsythia was significantly reduced in group C after 3 months (76 % vs. 53 %, p=0.019).
Conclusions: Within the limits of the study one may conclude that there are no important differences between the applied solutions regarding the influence on clinical variables. Povidone iodine seems to reduce the studied microbiological species in a higher degree.