Effect of the NSAID piroxicam, topically administered, on the development of gingivitis in beagle dogs.

A single-blind investigation was designed to study the effects of piroxicam in preventing gingival inflammation and plaque formation in beagle dogs. Twelve 1-year-old beagles were brought to optimum oral hygiene and gingival health. Thereafter, they were fed a moist plaque-promoting diet and were divided into three groups. The first group received daily administration of 1.0 ml placebo gel (methylcellulose) painted on the teeth. The second group received 1.0 ml of gel containing 2 mg/ml piroxicam and the third group received 1.0 ml liquid containing 2 mg/ml of piroxicam. Placebo and test solutions were applied daily, and dogs were examined biweekly for evaluation of plaque accumulation, gingival inflammation, bleeding upon gentle probing and tooth staining. Data were analyzed using the Krushkal-Wallis test. Over the treatment period, plaque accumulation was substantial in all three groups and was not significantly different between the three groups. By week 2, the gingival index in the piroxicam-treated dogs was significantly lower than that of the placebo-treated group and remained so throughout the study, with the exception of wk 6 and 12 in the topical gel-treated group. Mean percent bleeding sites were also significantly less in the piroxicam-treated groups than in the control dogs. Staining of the teeth increased for all groups over the 16-wk treatment period. These data indicate that piroxicam can significantly inhibit the development of gingival inflammation in beagle dogs.