Effect of Coping Skills on Non-surgical Periodontal Treatment Outcomes

Objective:  The aim of this study is to investigate the healing responses of chronic periodontitis patients; exhibiting different coping behaviours; after non-surgical periodontal treatment. Method:  Thirty otherwise systemically healthy subjects (mean age: 51.5±6.5, 11 males) diagnosed with chronic periodontitis were recruited. Based on a median score binary split of their brief COPE inventory profiles, patients were determined to belong to either Group 1 (low problem-focused coping, LPC) or Group 2 (high problem-focused coping, HPC). Non-surgical periodontal therapy was provided and all patients were followed up to 3 months post-treatment. The presence of plaque (Pl%), bleeding on probing (BOP%), change in probing pocket depth (PPD) and gain in clinical attachment level (CAL) were recorded, using the Florida Probe^©system. The non-surgical periodontal treatment outcomes of both groups were compared. Result:  At baseline, the mean PPD was 2.5±1.4mm while mean CAL was 4.0±2.1mm, and no significant difference was noted between groups. At 3 months, the overall Pl% and BOP% decreased from 68.1±18.8% and 49.1±21.8% to 35.5±20.2% and 24.6±15.2% respectively. The mean PPD reduction was 0.8±1.2mm while the mean CAL gain was 0.4±1.3mm. Using Mann-Whitney U test, subjects in LPC group were found to have a significantly lower median Pl% and greater median CAL gain than subjects in HPC group at 3 months. There was no significant difference in the median PPD reduction between the groups. Conclusion:  Based on the present data, subjects with lower problem-focused coping performed better plaque control at 3 months post-treatment and presented with greater clinical attachment level gain following non-surgical periodontal therapy. This ongoing study will track non-surgical periodontal treatment outcomes to 12 months post-treatment.