Therapeutic Efficacy of a 1% Metformin Chip as an Adjunct to Nonsurgical Periodontal Therapy: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the clinical and microbiological effectiveness of a 1% metformin biodegradable chip as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) in patients diagnosed with stage II, grade B periodontitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, single-center trial was conducted in systemically healthy patients diagnosed with stage II, grade B periodontitis. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups: the test group (SRP + 1% metformin chip) and the control group (SRP + placebo chip). Clinical and microbiological parameters were evaluated at baseline and three months post-treatment. These included plaque index (PI), modified sulcus bleeding index (mSBI), probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and microbial load, which was assessed by quantifying the colony-forming units (CFUs) of Results: Significant improvements in PI and mSBI scores were observed in both groups at three months. However, the test group exhibited a more substantial reduction in PI (0.56 ± 0.58 vs. 1.00 ± 0.58, p = 0.03) and mSBI (1.52 ± 0.51 vs. 1.00 ± 0.65, p = 0.012). While the PPD reduction was not statistically significant (p = 0.24), CAL showed significant improvements (p = 0.001), with the test group demonstrating better outcomes. Microbiological analysis revealed a significant reduction in CFUs in both groups, with a greater bacterial reduction observed in the test group (p = 0.006).

CONCLUSION

The adjunctive use of a 1% metformin chip with SRP significantly enhances clinical outcomes and reduces microbial load, supporting its potential as an effective therapeutic approach for the management of periodontitis.