Study population
pain
LOCAL DISEASE
The present study was designed as a single-center, prospective, observational cohort trial to investigate the impact of periodontal surgical procedures on patient quality of life. This paper was written according to the STROBE statement for improving the quality of reports of observational trials. The study protocol was approved by the local ethics committee at Bologna, Italy (PG0027334/2017-16180). Patients referred to the Periodontal Department of Bologna University between April 2019 and December 2022 requiring periodontal surgical treatment were recruited; each patient contributed with one questionnaire. Patients (> 18 years) with uncontrolled systemic or local diseases or taking antibiotics in the past 6 months and those using any additional remedies other than the prescribed medication for post-surgical pain control were excluded.All periodontal surgeries were performed by expert periodontists (>10 years of experience in periodontal surgery) and residents with 3 years of periodontal training and followed standard protocols under local anesthesia in an isolated surgical operatory setting. Standardized post-surgical instructions were given to all the participants, and they were advised to take painkillers when needed (Ibuprofen 600 mg tablet), while systemic antibiotics (amoxicillin+ clavulanic acid 875 mg+125 mg for 7 days) were prescribed according to the surgeon’s decision and patient’s medical history.The patients were asked to refrain from using mechanical oral hygiene measures in the treated area for 2 weeks, during which they were instructed to rinse with 0.12% chlorhexidine digluconate for 1 min, twice daily. Sutures were removed 2 weeks after surgery in all cases.