Responses to Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy in Smokers and Non-Smokers.

Objectives: To assess responses to non-surgical periodontal therapy in smokers and non-smokers with periodontitis by the clinical periodontal, microbiological and immunological parameters.

Methods: Fifteen smokers and 15 non-smokers with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis, systemic healthy, and without acute lesion in their mouth were recruited into the study. All patients were received the non-surgical periodontal therapy included instructing oral hygiene, scaling and root planning. Plaque index (PLI), gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP) and probing pocket depth (PPD) were evaluated by a calibrated examiner. BANA test was used to evaluate red complex bacteria in subgingival plaque samples taken from 2 pockets with 6mm in depth. Oral neutrophil level was counted from 30s oral rinse sample. All parameters were recorded before (baseline) and after treatment 1 month. The data were analysed statistically by the non-parametric tests.

Results: There was no significant difference in all periodontal parameters between smokers and non-smokers before treatment. BANA test revealed significantly higher in smokers than non-smokers (p=0.04). After 1 month of treatment, all periodontal parameters and BANA test reduced significantly in both of smokers and non-smokers when compared with baseline. There was no difference in PLI, GI, BOP and BANA test between smokers and non-smokers, but PPD significantly reduced in non-smoker (p=0.04). Oral neutrophil level tended to reduce in non-smokers whereas to increase in smokers significantly (p=0.01).

Conclusions: Non-surgical periodontal therapy reduced all clinically periodontal parameters and red complex bacteria in smokers and non-smokers. But smoking impaired treatment effect in reducing PPD and changed oral neutrophil response to periodontal healing following treatment.