Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Gingivitis is a common inflammatory lesion caused by the build-up of oral biofilm and is an essential precursor to periodontitis. For its treatment, oral hygiene habits, such as dental flossing, must be improved, and adjunctive materials, such as hyaluronic acid, may be used to reduce plaque formation and gingival inflammation. This study aimed to assess the effects of 0.2% hyaluronic acid gel-impregnated dental floss on the clinical periodontal markers of patients with gingivitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This clinical study adopted a split-mouth, randomised controlled trial design. After clinical data were assessed at baseline, and supragingival scaling was performed, bilateral gingivitis regions were randomly allocated to either the hyaluronic acid gel-impregnated floss group or just the floss group using a computer-generated randomisation table. Clinical parameters were recorded at 1, 2 and 4 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: Over the 4-week trial period, all patients showed significant improvements in all clinical periodontal markers. The 1-week plaque index, 4-week gingival index and 4-week papillary bleeding index were significantly lower in the test group than in the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The use of hyaluronic acid-impregnated dental floss has resulted in more significant improvements in clinical periodontal parameters compared to dental floss alone. For ease of use, ready-made products with this innovative formulation may be produced. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06307041.