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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Philip Preshaw
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2026 The Author(s). Journal of Clinical Periodontology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of professional mechanical plaque removal (PMPR) for treating naturally occurring dental biofilm–induced gingivitis (i) compared to no treatment or oral hygiene instructions (OHI) (FQ1), (ii) when performed through different modalities (FQ2) or (iii) when combined with professionally administered local adjuncts (FQ3). Materials and Methods: A structured literature search was conducted for randomised or non-randomised controlled trials (RCTs and CTs) assessing gingival inflammation at patient level within 2–6 weeks after treatment in adults with gingivitis. Results: Heterogeneous evidence shows with low certainty that PMPR has no efficacy in patients continuing with ineffective self-performed oral hygiene regimens but enhances OHI outcomes (FQ1; three RCTs, one CT). Split-mouth RCTs consistently indicated with very low certainty that ultrasonic scaling (US) plus air polishing is as effective but less time consuming than US plus polishing with rubber cup and prophylaxis paste. Furthermore, diode laser shows no adjunctive benefit (FQ2; five RCTs). Although some professionally administered local adjuncts have shown positive outcomes in patients receiving PMPR, their broader clinical application is limited due to unresolved clinical issues and uncertain cost effectiveness (FQ3; two RCTs). Conclusions: OHI should be the first-line treatment for dental biofilm–induced gingivitis. Combination of PMPR and OHI provides an adjunctive benefit over OHI alone. Air polishing may be combined with US to reduce the time for PMPR administration.
Author(s): Farina R, Simonelli A, Trombelli L, Chew RJJ, Tu Y-K, Preshaw PM
Publication type: Review
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Clinical Periodontology
Year: 2026
Pages: Epub ahead of print
Online publication date: 13/01/2026
Acceptance date: 05/12/2025
ISSN (print): 0303-6979
ISSN (electronic): 1600-051X
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Inc
URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpe.70083
DOI: 10.1111/jcpe.70083
PubMed id: 41531192
Data Access Statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
