Among the systemically healthy and non-smoking patients with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis, twenty eight patients (mean age: 47.5 years) treated by non-surgical therapy (scaling and root planning) and nineteen patients (mean age: 47.3 years) treated by surgical therapy (flap surgery)were included in this study. The periodontal supportive therapy including recall check and oral hygiene reinforcement was started as maintenance phase since 1 month of healing after treatment. Probing depth, gingival recession, clinical attachment level and tooth mobility were recorded at initial, baseline and 1, 2, 3 and 6 month of maintenance phase. The clinical parameters were compared between the non-surgical and surgical therapies using Student t-test and repeated measure ANOVA by initial probing depth and surfaces.

Surgical therapy resulted in greater change in clinical parameters than non-surgical therapy. During the maintenance phase of 6 months, the clinical effects after treatment had been changed in different pattern according to initial probing depth and tooth surface. During maintenance phase, probing depth increased more and gingival recession increased less after surgical therapy, compared to non-surgical therapy. The sites of initial probing depth less than 3 mm lost more clinical attachment level, and the sites of initial probing depth more than 7 mm gained clinical attachment level during maintenance phase after non-surgical therapy, compared to surgical therapy. Non-surgical therapy resulted in greater reduction of tooth mobility than surgical therapy during maintenance phase.

These results indicate that the clinical effects of non-surgical or surgical therapy may be different and may change during the maintenance phase.