OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of patients' compliance on clinical parameters in patients with chronic periodontitis during periodontal maintenance therapy period.

METHODSChronic periodontitis patients who had completed non-surgical periodontal basic treatment were incorporated into the periodontal maintenance therapy(PMT). Clinical examination was performed in the baseline and each quarterly recall, over 3-year period. Clinical parameters including number of teeth, probing depth(PD), attachment loss(AL) level and bleeding on probing(BOP), were recorded. According to the number of PMT visit, the patients were classified into three groups:regular complier(RC); erratic complier(EC); non-complier(NC). The final parameters(three years later) were obtained by outpatient follow-up and telephone interviews. The data were calculated for the pecentage of sites with PD 4-5 mm, PD ≥ 6 mm, AL 4-5 mm, AL ≥ 6 mm, BOP, and the number of tooth loss per patient and the rates of progression of periodontitis.Statistical analyses including ANOVA test and Chi-square test were performed by SPSS 16.0 software package.

RESULTSThe percentage of clinical parameters in RC [AL 4-5 mm :(14.8 ± 5.0)%, AL ≥ 6 mm: (9.3 ± 3.1)%, BOP: (22.8 ± 4.2)%] were significantly decreased compared with that at baseline [AL 4-5 mm:(19.0 ± 6.0)%, AL ≥ 6 mm: (10.6 ± 3.1)%, BOP:(30.3 ± 5.6)%] (P < 0.01). There was significant difference between RC and NC [AL 4-5mm:(43.3 ± 1.3)%, AL ≥ 6 mm:(31.3 ± 1.7)%, BOP (91.5 ± 5.4)%] (P < 0.01), and between RC and EC[AL 4-5 mm: (18.9 ± 6.7)%, AL ≥ 6 mm: (12.6 ± 5.4)%, BOP:(38.4 ± 5.2)%] (P < 0.05). The progression rate of periodontitis [19.1% (4/21) at subject level, 0.7% (434/61 362) at site level] and tooth loss (1.0) was significantly lower in RC compared with EC and NC patients.

CONCLUSIONSRegular periodontal maintenance enables the patients with chronic periodontitis to maintain long-term efficacy.