8. Full‐mouth scaling versus full‐mouth disinfection: change in clinical attachment level.
| Tooth type: single‐ or multi‐rooted, or both | Baseline pocket depth (mm) | Time (months) | Number of studies (participants) | Mean difference (95% CI) (random‐effects meta‐analysis) | Heterogeneity |
| Both | 5–6 | 3/4 | 1 (27) | –0.05 (–0.50, 0.40); P = 0.83 | Not applicable |
| Both | > 6 | 3/4 | 2 (45) | 0.41 (–0.45, 1.27); P = 0.35 | P = 0.17; I² = 47% |
| Both | 5–6 | 6/8 | 0 (0) | Not estimable | Not applicable |
| Both | > 6 | 6/8 | 1 (18) | –0.51 (–1.24, 0.22); P = 0.17 | Not applicable |
| Single‐rooted | 5–6 | 3/4 | 1 (18) | 0.71 (0.31, 1.11); P = 0.0005 | Not applicable |
| Single‐rooted | > 6 | 3/4 | 0 (0) | Not estimable | Not applicable |
| Single‐rooted | 5–6 | 6/8 | 2 (42) | –0.09 (–0.30, 0.11); P = 0.38 | P = 0.44; I² = 0% |
| Single‐rooted | > 6 | 6/8 | 1 (24) | 0.56 (–0.37, 1.49); P = 0.24 | Not applicable |
| Multi‐rooted | 5–6 | 3/4 | 1 (18) | 1.53 (0.89, 2.17); P < 0.00001 | Not applicable |
| Multi‐rooted | > 6 | 3/4 | 0 (0) | Not estimable | Not applicable |
| Multi‐rooted | 5–6 | 6/8 | 2 (42) | –0.02 (–0.53, 0.49); P = 0.93 | P = 0.06; I² = 73% |
| Multi‐rooted | > 6 | 6/8 | 1 (24) | 0.74 (0.17, 1.31); P = 0.01 | Not applicable |
CI: confidence interval.