Clinical intervention
PD, pain
After a baseline examination, each of the 20 patients received two 90-min sessions of cause-related periodontal non-surgical treatment from the same therapist (A. C. K.) within 7 days, beginning with motivation and instruction on proper oral hygiene. Both dental arches’ left and right sides were randomly assigned to one of two treatment modalities. Randomisation was accomplished by using a computer program formula to generate the random allocation sequence number (Microsoft Office Excel, Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, W, USA). Then, a random allocation number was assigned for each side of the dentition, with an even or odd number corresponding to the test or control group. The treatment allocation cards were sealed in envelopes until the clinical procedure. To maintain blinding and allocation concealment, randomisation was carried out, and the envelopes containing specific treatment modalities were handled by a third party who was not involved in the patient’s treatment or clinical assessment. As a result, the patient and the evaluator were blinded throughout the treatment. The treatment protocol in the test quadrants adhered to the MINST concepts described by Nibali et al. [The subjects were recalled 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment. Oral hygiene instructions were reinforced at each appointment, and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups, a full-mouth periodontal examination was performed using the same protocol as at baseline and the same type of periodontal probe (POW6, Hu-Friedy, Chicago, Illinois, USA). In addition, all sites with PD ≥ 5 mm and BOP sites were re-instrumented with the same treatment modality. At the 6-month follow-up, the buccal surfaces of the teeth were stimulated using a dental syringe and compressed air for 1 s to induce pain. The discomfort was localised to each quadrant and recorded as present or absent [