Clinical outcome observed in subjects with recurrent periodontal disease following local treatment with 25% metronidazole gel.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome in patients with recurrent periodontal disease following treatment with 25% metronidazole gel.


METHODS
Twenty subjects in a maintenance care program but with recurrent periodontal disease participated. Three months after scaling and root planing, a total of 40 sites, 2 in each patient, with probing depth > or = 5 mm were selected. One site randomly selected was treated with metronidazole gel (test) and the other site with a placebo gel (control). Baseline and follow-up measurements included plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment level (CAL).


RESULTS
There were no statistically significant differences in PI, GI, BOP, PD, or CAL between test and control sites.


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that local treatment with 25% metronidazole gel did not seem to influence the clinical healing in this group of subjects with recurrent periodontal disease.
Jansson
H
H
Department of Periodontology, Center for Oral Health Sciences, Malmo University, Malmo, Sweden. Henrik.Jansson@od.mah.se
Bratthall
G
G
Söderholm
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D012534:Dental Scaling; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005782:Gels; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000188:drug therapy; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000188:drug therapy; D010919:Placebos; D012008:Recurrence; D016745:Root Planing; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D005782:Gels; D010919:Placebos; D008795:Metronidazole