Subgingival scaling and root planing during minimally invasive periodontal surgery: A randomized controlled split-mouth trial.

Background: The purpose of this randomized, controlled split-mouth study was to evaluate a videoscope as a visual adjunct to scaling and root planing when utilized in combination with minimally invasive surgery.

Methods: Twenty-five pairs (89 interproximal surfaces) of periodontally hopeless teeth planned for extraction were scaled and root planed with minimal surgical access using surgical loupes (control) or adjunctive use of a videoscope (test). Teeth were extracted with minimal trauma, stained with methylene blue, and photographed with a digital microscope for analysis.