RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO2) as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) in the treatment of severe cases of chronic periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 20 patients diagnosed with severe generalized chronic periodontitis (pockets>7mm) with bleeding on probing, SRP was rendered in all pockets. Additionally, five consecutive hyperbaric sessions were administered in 10 patients after random allocation (SRP + HBO2). Clinical parameters were assessed at baseline up to six months: plaque index, bleeding on probing, probing depth, clinical attachment level and benzoyl-DL-arginine-naphthylamide (BANA) test. RESULTS: SRP + HBO2 resulted in greater probing reduction and attachment gain than SRP alone three months after treatment (p<0.001). The BANA test was negative after one week only for sites in the SRP + HBO2 group (p<0.05). However, SRP + HBO2 failed to show a significant difference from SRP group after 3 months, where all BANA sites became negative (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that hyperbaric oxygen therapy had a short-term beneficial effect on pocket reduction and bacterial elimination, and may be considered a potential adjunct therapeutic option to improve the clinical outcomes of scaling in severe cases of chronic periodontitis.