Priority 14 from the Oral and Dental Health PSP

Not available for this PSP

Evidence predominantly low quality (no high quality evidence)
“The evidence suggests that sub-gingival instrumentation of probing depths greater than 3 mm is effective in improving periodontal health”
“Evidence suggests that power driven RSI and hand RSI are equally effective in terms of improved clinical outcomes”
“There is currently no evidence of a difference in effectiveness between full mouth and quadrant debridement and both are therefore suitable for the treatment of chronic periodontitis.”
“Evidence does not support the adjunctive use of disinfectants during sub-gingival instrumentation “
“Current evidence does not support the use of local antimicrobials as a primary treatment for chronic periodontitis.” 
“The evidence suggests that adjunctive systemic antibiotic therapy may lead to statistically significant improvements in outcomes such as probing depth and clinical attachment level when compared with RSI alone. However, the clinical significance of these improvements, and the extent to which they may be influenced by the quality of the concurrent RSI, is unclear. Also, there is no evidence to suggest which antibiotic is most effective and the most effective dose.”
“There is insufficient evidence to support the routine use of antibiotics as an adjunct to RSI in periodontitis patients who smoke.”
“There is currently insufficient evidence to support the use of host modulation therapy as an adjunct to RSI in patients with chronic periodontitis.”
“There is currently insufficient evidence to determine the most effective regimen for supportive periodontal therapy.”

For full details of the evidence checked, please see the spreadsheet of data held on the JLA website.