Effectiveness of periodontal therapy on the severity of cyclosporin A-induced gingival overgrowth

Aim: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the clinical effects of aetiological periodontal treatment in a group of transplant patients medicated with cyclosporin A (CsA) who exhibited severe gingival overgrowth. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one patients received oral hygiene instructions, supra- and subgingival scaling and periodontal maintenance therapy and were monitored for 12 months. Full-mouth plaque score (FMPS), full-mouth bleeding score (FMBS), periodontal probing depth and degree of gingival overgrowth (Seymour index GO) were recorded at baseline, 6 and 12 months after treatment. Results: Statistical evaluation revealed that all clinical variables significantly decreased compared with baseline. At baseline 18 out of 21 treated patients (85.71%) exhibited clinically significant overgrowth. Initial GO score of 2.38 +/- 1.92 in the anterior sextants and of 1.29 +/- 1.59 in the posterior segments were reduced to 0.56 +/- 0.83 and to 0.45 +/- 0.84 at 12 months (p < 0.001). A difference of 1.82 and 0.84 in the severity of treated GO was accompained by a 42% and 34% decrease in FMPS and FMBS, respectively. Conclusions: Aetiological periodontal treatment and regular maintenance therapy were effective in resolving the inflammation and in eliminating the need for surgical treatment in patients receiving CsA.