Debridement and local application of tetracycline-loaded fibres in the management of persistent periodontitis: results after 12 months.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical, radiological and microbiological response to the local delivery of tetracycline (TE) of sites with persistent periodontal lesions.


METHODS
The study was conducted in a split-mouth design. Nineteen patients with at least four bilateral pockets 4-5 mm and bleeding on probing (BOP) were treated with scaling and root planing (SRP) plus TE fibres (test sites) or with SRP alone (control sites). Clinical and radiological measurements were taken at baseline, 6 months and 12 months post-operatively. Subgingival plaque samples were collected at baseline, at fibres removal, 6 and 12 months following treatment and analysed by polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
Both treatments yielded a statistically significant (p<0.05) reduction of probing depth (2.05 and 1.21 mm), gain of clinical attachment level (1.71 and 0.53 mm) and reduction of BOP scores (23.68% and 57.89%) for TE and SRP groups, respectively, when comparing 12-month data with baseline. The differences between two groups were significant. The prevalence of Treponema denticola and Bacteroides forsythus decreased after therapy in both groups but only in the test sites Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Prevotella intermedia were not yield detected. The pathogens could be eliminated from five periodontal pockets by SRP alone, while 21 TE sites were not recolonized at 12 months.


CONCLUSIONS
SRP plus TE fibres gave the greatest advantage in the treatment of periodontal persistent lesions at least 12 months following treatment.
Aimetti
M
M
Department of Periodontology, University of Turin, Italy. aimetti@libero.it
Romano
F
F
Torta
I
I
Cirillo
D
D
Caposio
P
P
Romagnoli
R
R
D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000187:drug effects; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000187:drug effects; D002482:Cellulose / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000628:therapy; D012534:Dental Scaling; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D018713:Prevotella intermedia / Q000187:drug effects; D016745:Root Planing; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014208:Treponema / Q000187:drug effects
C116585:Actisite; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002482:Cellulose; D013752:Tetracycline