Autologous Platelet Concentrate (APC) in Intrabony Defects

To be part of this study, you need to be at least 25 years old and generally healthy, without certain medical conditions. You should have clear signs of gum disease with a specific type of bone damage around your teeth that can be treated. It's also important that your general gum health, like bleeding and plaque levels, is reasonably good after recent cleaning, and you haven't had gum surgery in the study area in the last year.

There are also some reasons why you wouldn't be able to join. For example, if you have certain health problems like diabetes, kidney, or liver disease, or if you're taking specific medications like strong blood thinners or steroids for a long time, you wouldn't be eligible. Heavy smoking (10 or more cigarettes a day), a history of alcohol or drug misuse, or being pregnant or breastfeeding would also mean you couldn't take part. We also can't include you if you've recently had certain antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs.

If you agree to take part, the study will involve nine visits to the Barts and The London Dental Hospital over at least 13 months. Your first visit will involve explaining the study in detail, checking your health history, and taking some measurements. You'll also have an X-ray and some scans. We'll clean your teeth and give you oral hygiene advice at this visit. You'll then be randomly (by chance) assigned to one of the two treatment groups.

Within six weeks of your first visit, you'll have a small gum operation. After the surgery, there will be follow-up appointments where we'll check your gum health, take more measurements, and ask you to complete questionnaires about your experience. You'll have another X-ray at 12 months to see how your bone has healed. We'll also be using non-invasive methods, like special scans, to check things like temperature and blood flow around your gums and face at different times.