[Comparison on the effects of metronidazole in subgingival application in the treatment of adult periodontitis].

UNLABELLED

Control of subgingival plaque is the key of the treatment of periodontal diseases. The use of subgingival sustained-release antibiotic therapy is advocated for the beneficial effect on anaerobic flora. A single-blind clinical trial was carried out in 13 patients with adult periodontitis to compare the effects of subgingival application of metronidazole dental gel with those of subgingival scaling.

METHOD AND MATERIALS

A split mouth design was used so that each patient received all treatments simultaneously. Randomly selected quadrants were treated with applications of 25% metronidazole gel, subgingival scaling, or a combination of scaling and gel application. The remaining quadrant in each patient was left untreated as a control.

RESULTS

All three treatments were effective in significantly reducing bleeding on probing over the 14 weeks observation period. No statistically significant differences were found between scaling alone and combined treatment. Scaling and combined treatment were better than metronidazole. Metronidazole produced transient effects, best noted during the first 4 weeks after treatment. No additive effect of metronidazole was noted in the combined treatment. At week 14, only combined treatment sites and scaled showed statistically greater probing depths reduction than control sites.

CONCLUSION

For the treatment of mild to moderate adult periodontitis, subgingival scaling alone is as effective as the combination of scaling and antibiotic therapy.