Does Exposure to Tobacco Smoke Modify the Clinical Periodontal Parameters After Non‐Surgical Periodontal Therapy With and Without the Addition of a Chlorhexidine‐Based Antiseptic? ‐ A Controlled Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether tobacco smoking modifies the clinical outcomes of non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) in adults with periodontitis and what are the added benefits of a chlorhexidine-based antiseptic. METHODS: Sample included 60 subjects aged 24 to 75 years (median 49; 67% females) diagnosed with periodontitis; 50% of them were regular smokers. All subjects underwent clinical periodontal examination that included measuring Full Mouth Plaque Score (FMPS), Full Mouth Bleeding Score (FMBS), Pocket Depth (PD), Clinical Attachment Level (CAL), Gingival Recession (GR) and Tooth Mobility (TM). All subjects underwent NSPT. Half of the subjects in each group used a 0.12% CHX-based mouth-rinse twice a day for 15 days. Clinical examination was repeated 8 weeks after NSPT. RESULTS: = 0.170; p = 0.033). CONCLUSION: Smoking reduces the success of NSPT but the addition of antiseptic proved to be an additional benefit.