1 percent metformin Gel Improves Healing in Periodontal Disease When Used with Conventional Therapy: Study
Periodontal disease is widely prevalent and often evolves into chronic tissue damage if not effectively managed. While scaling and root planing (SRP) remains the cornerstone of non-surgical therapy, researchers are actively exploring adjunctive treatments to enhance healing. A new systematic review and meta-analysis, published in The Saudi Dental Journal, evaluated the efficacy of locally delivered 1% metformin (MF) gel in improving periodontal outcomes when combined with conventional therapy.
The authors systematically analyzed six clinical trials comparing SRP plus 1% MF gel to SRP with placebo in patients with periodontitis. Follow-up was conducted at three and six months. Results showed a consistent, statistically significant improvement in key clinical parameters with the metformin gel. Pocket depth (PD) reduction averaged 1.33 mm at three months (95% CI: −1.66 to −1.01) and 1.87 mm at six months (95% CI: −2.24 to −1.39). Clinical attachment level (CAL) gain was 1.80 mm (95% CI: −2.26 to −1.34) at three months and 2.14 mm (95% CI: −2.71 to −1.58) at six months. Intra-bony defect (IBD) depth also improved by 1.16 mm (95% CI: −1.40 to −0.92) at six months. These substantial improvements suggest that metformin’s local anti-inflammatory and osteogenic properties meaningfully support periodontal healing.
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