Repeated local metronidazole- therapy as adjunct to scaling and root planing in maintenance patients

• Published in: Journal of clinical periodontology 1999-11, Vol.26 (11), p.710-715
• Main Author: Bernimoulin, J.-P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Topical; Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans - drug effects; Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans - growth & development; Anti-Bacterial Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Colony Count, Microbial; Combined Modality Therapy; Dental Scaling; Dentistry; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gels; Gingival Hemorrhage - prevention & control; Humans; local antibiotics; maintenance therapy; Male; metronidazole; Metronidazole - administration & dosage; Metronidazole - therapeutic use; Middle Aged; Periodontal Attachment Loss - prevention & control; Periodontal Pocket - microbiology; Periodontal Pocket - prevention & control; periodontitis; Periodontitis - microbiology; Periodontitis - prevention & control; Porphyromonas gingivalis - drug effects; Porphyromonas gingivalis - growth & development; Prevotella intermedia - drug effects; Prevotella intermedia - growth & development; Recurrence; Root Planing; Single-Blind Method
• ISSN: 0303-6979; 1600-051X
• DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-051X.1999.t01-2-261101.x

. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of local antibiotic therapy with metronidazole adjunctively to scaling and root planing (SRP) versus mechanical treatment alone. 30 maintenance‐patients were included in this single‐blind study. The subjects had to comply with the following criteria: 2 non‐adjacent sites with a probing depth ≥6 mm with bleeding on probing in separate quadrants, no periodontal therapy within the last 3 months, and no antibiotic therapy within the last 6 months. After randomization, the study sites were assigned to one of the following 2 treatments: SRP plus subgingival application of metronidazole 25% dental gel (Elyzol®) 5× during 10 days (test site) or SRP alone (control site). Subgingival microbiological samples were taken prior to, and 21 days and 3 months after scaling. The samples were analyzed with a commercial chair‐side ELISA (Evalusite®) for Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. Probing pocket depth (PPD), attachment level (AL) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were recorded at baseline and 3 months later. PPD reduction and AL‐gain were statistically significant (p