Air Polishing for Pain and Compliance in Supportive Periodontal Therapy

NCT07837947 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 33/2026
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) is essential for maintaining periodontal stability and preventing disease recurrence in patients who have been successfully treated for periodontitis. However, long-term effectiveness depends on regular attendance at maintenance visits, and negative experiences associated with periodontal instrumentation, such as pain or discomfort, may affect patient acceptance and adherence to the maintenance program. The aim of this randomized clinical trial is to evaluate whether supportive periodontal therapy performed using an air-polishing device with low-abrasive trehalose powder reduces patient-perceived pain and improves the clinical experience compared with conventional biofilm removal using ultrasonic instrumentation. The study will also assess whether the use of air polishing is associated with better adherence to the periodontal maintenance program while maintaining comparable periodontal clinical outcomes. Forty periodontally stabilized adult patients enrolled in the supportive periodontal therapy program of the Master's Degree in Periodontology and Peri-implantology at the University of Barcelona will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to one of two parallel treatment groups. The control group will receive conventional supportive periodontal therapy using ultrasonic instrumentation, while the experimental group will receive supportive periodontal therapy using an air-polishing device with low-abrasive trehalose powder. Participants will be followed for 24 months. The primary outcome will be patient-perceived pain associated with supportive periodontal therapy, assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes will include treatment duration, adherence to scheduled maintenance visits, patient experience and acceptance of treatment, and periodontal clinical parameters. Periodontal status will be monitored throughout follow-up by assessing probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level, bleeding on probing, and plaque index. This study aims to determine whether air polishing with trehalose powder can provide a more comfortable and patient-centered approach to supportive periodontal therapy without compromising periodontal clinical outcomes, and whether an improved treatment experience may contribute to better long-term adherence to periodontal maintenance.

Conditions

Periodontitis

Keywords

Supportive Periodontal Therapy; Periodontal Maintenance; Air Polishing; Trehalose; Ultrasonic Instrumentation; Pain; Patient-Reported Outcomes

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Pain perceived during supportive periodontal therapy

  Pain perceived by the participant during the supportive periodontal therapy session will be assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). The outcome will be compared between participants treated with trehalose air-polishing and those treated with ultrasonic instrumentation.

  Immediately after the supportive periodontal therapy session

Secondary Outcomes (10)

• Patient-reported treatment experience

  Immediately after each supportive periodontal therapy session

• Duration of supportive periodontal therapy session

  At each supportive periodontal therapy visit throughout the 24-month follow-up

• Adherence to supportive periodontal therapy

  Throughout the 24-month follow-up

• Probing pocket depth (PPD)

  Baseline and at each supportive periodontal therapy visit throughout the 24-month follow-up

• Clinical attachment level (CAL)

  Baseline and at each supportive periodontal therapy visit throughout the 24-month follow-up.

Study Arms (2)

Trehalose Air-Polishing Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants allocated to this group will receive supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) using an air-polishing device with low-abrasive trehalose powder for subgingival biofilm removal.

Device: Trehalose Air-Polishing

Ultrasonic Instrumentation Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants allocated to this group will receive supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) using conventional ultrasonic instrumentation for subgingival biofilm and calculus removal.

Device: Ultrasonic Instrumentation

Interventions

Trehalose Air-Polishing DEVICE

Subgingival biofilm removal during supportive periodontal therapy using an air-polishing device with low-abrasive trehalose powder.

Trehalose Air-Polishing Group

Ultrasonic Instrumentation DEVICE

Conventional subgingival debridement during supportive periodontal therapy using ultrasonic instrumentation.

Ultrasonic Instrumentation Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Men or women aged 18 years or older who voluntarily agree to sign the informed consent form before any study-related procedure is performed.
• ASA physical status I or II.
• Initial diagnosis of Stage I-III periodontitis according to the 2017 World Workshop, periodontally treated and stabilized, and enrolled in a supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) program.
• Non-smokers or light smokers (\<10 cigarettes/day).
• Commitment to attend all follow-up visits over the 24-month study period.

You may not qualify if:

• Patients requiring local anesthesia or anxiolytic premedication to undergo supportive periodontal therapy (SPT).
• Patients with pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, or neurostimulators.
• Pregnant women.
• Patients with infectious respiratory diseases.
• Patients with systemic diseases or neurological disorders that may alter pain perception.
• Patients receiving medications that may influence pain perception (e.g., opioids or gabapentin).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Octavi Camps-Font: lead

Study Sites (1)

Hospital Odontològic Universitat de Barcelona

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, 08907, Spain

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Periodontitis; Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Periodontal Diseases; Mouth Diseases; Stomatognathic Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Edgar Martínez García, DDS

  University of Barcelona

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Octavi Camps Font, DDS, MSc, PhD

CONTACT

+34 665980569; ocamps@ub.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: The outcome assessor will be blinded to treatment allocation. Due to the nature of the interventions, the operator performing supportive periodontal therapy cannot be blinded.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 12, 2026
• First Posted: September 24, 2026
• Study Start: October 1, 2026
• Primary Completion: October 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2027
• Last Updated: September 24, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

ES (1)