2025 Volume 67 Issue 4 Pages 130-142
In initial periodontal therapy, plaque control and occlusal establishment are regarded as fundamental principles. However, it remains unclear whether attachment gain and bone regeneration are influenced by preoperative occlusal support or by regeneration therapies, such as recombinant human fibroblast growth factor-2 application. This study was aimed at determining whether the preoperative occlusal support status might affect periodontal tissue regeneration therapy outcomes. Data of cases of periodontal tissue regeneration therapy performed for the molars at the Nihon University Matsudo Dental Hospital between February 2017 and June 2024 were retrospectively reviewed. The final subjects were selected after applying exclusion criteria and divided into two groups by the number of occlusal support areas, excluding the targeted sites. Clinical parameters were assessed pre- and postoperatively, and improvements in the clinical outcomes and radiographic bone fill post-surgery were compared between the two groups. The primary outcome was radiographic bone fill at 12 months post-surgery, and the relationship between the occlusal support areas and radiographic bone fill was analyzed statistically. Both groups showed notable improvements in probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and bleeding on probing (BOP) at 12 months, whereas radiographic bone fill did not differ substantially between the two groups. Moreover, PD reduction, CAL gain, BOP improvement, plaque control, and bone fill were not associated with the number of preoperative occlusal support areas. Thus, in periodontal tissue regeneration therapy, the outcomes do not appear to be affected by preoperative occlusal support. Overall, this study suggests that occlusal condition is not a critical determinant of the success of regenerative therapy, emphasizing the need to identify alternative preoperative factors with greater predictive value for clinical outcomes.
