Topical versus Systemic Antibiotics: Scaling and Root Planing Still Leads in Periodontal Therapy, Study Finds
Iran: A recent study explored the effects of local and systemic administration of metronidazole as adjunctive treatments for patients with chronic periodontitis. The findings, published in Clinical & Experimental Dental Research, revealed that all methods demonstrated comparable effectiveness, with scaling and root planing (SRP) remaining the gold standard for treating periodontal diseases.
While systemic metronidazole can penetrate deep into periodontal pockets, its use is often associated with side effects, including gastrointestinal disturbances and drug interactions. This led researchers to explore topical metronidazole in gel form as an alternative, given its targeted application and reduced systemic exposure. The findings suggest that the topical gel can be a safe and effective addition to SRP without the side effects associated with systemic delivery.
Chronic periodontitis is a progressive inflammatory disease that can lead to tooth loss if left untreated. The standard treatment for this condition is scaling and root planing considered the gold standard for managing periodontal diseases. However, using antibiotics as adjunctive therapies has gained attention for their potential to improve treatment outcomes.
Against the above background, Maryam Mehravani, Student Research Committee, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran, and colleagues sought to evaluate and compare the impacts of local versus systemic metronidazole in managing chronic periodontitis.
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