Objectives: This study was conducted to elucidate the link of site-specific, tooth-related, and patient-associated factors with bleeding on pocket probing (BOPP) and the impact of scaling and root planing over these factors.
Method and materials: This cross-sectional study comprised of 50 untreated periodontitis patients and 50 periodontitis patients who had received scaling and root planing in the last 6 to 12 months and were on supportive periodontal therapy. Multilevel modeling was applied to data, with BOPP being the dichotomous outcome variable. Variables that revealed a significant association with BOPP in multilevel modeling were analyzed further to find the influence of the treatment group (untreated periodontitis and treated periodontitis) on the association between predictor variables and BOPP.
Results: Odds ratio (OR) for BOPP in untreated periodontitis versus treated periodontitis was 1.493, and in molars versus anterior teeth this was 1.439. Untreated periodontitis had an OR of 3.500 compared to treated periodontitis, in anterior teeth with Plaque Index 0. This was 2.795 and 7.734 in treated periodontitis and 5.106 and 12.762 in untreated periodontitis at Plaque Index 1 and 2, respectively. Bleeding on marginal probing had an OR of 6.984 for BOPP. Bleeding on marginal probing negative sites had higher OR in untreated periodontitis irrespective of the probing pocket depth.
Conclusion: Plaque control is more effective in controlling periodontal inflammation after scaling and root planing. The probability of BOPP in the absence of bleeding on marginal probing is higher in untreated patients. The scope of influence of marginal inflammation on periodontal inflammation in shallow pockets is more in untreated periodontitis as compared to treated periodontitis; however, the trend reverses in deep pockets.
Keywords: inflammation; molars; odds ratio; periodontitis; root planing.