Study Flow Diagram
tooth
GENERALIZED PERIODONTITIS, PCT
A single examiner enrolled systemically healthy individuals aged 30-50 years, diagnosed with stage 3 grade B generalized periodontitis, with a minimum of 20 teeth and at least one site with a probing pocket depth (PPD) of After a clinical examination the recording of clinical and microbiological parameters at baseline and a full mouth SRP were conducted and each subject’s 4 quadrants were randomly assigned to one of the following treatment groups through a simple, computer-generated randomization technique:Group 1 (control) – Application of placebo gel followed by sham PCT (directing the light cure device without turning on the light beam).Group 2 – Application of Nano ZnO gel followed by sham PCT.Group 3 – Application of placebo gel followed by PCT.Group 4 – Application of Nano ZnO gel followed by PCT.The interventions for each group were performed on all periodontal pockets in the assigned quadrant at baseline, at the end of the first week and 1 month after the first session. The interventions were allocated to the quadrants using sealed opaque envelopes. On the day of intervention, each subject chose one envelope to detect their randomized allocation. In each quadrant, the tooth with the deepest PPD was chosen as the test site.The microbiological sampling and the assessment of clinical parameters were performed at baseline (prior to SRP), at 1 month from baseline and 3 months from it. These procedures were carried out by a single examiner who was blinded to all the study groups. The intra-operator reliability test carried out to establish reproducibility of the results was found to be substantial (Cohen’s kappa-0.8), with an observed percentage agreement of more than 75%.