title: Additional benefits of homeopathy in the treatment of chronic periodontitis: a randomized clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Homeopathic medicine (HM) in the treatment of Chronic Periodontitis (CP) aims to restore the vital energy balance of the patient allowing the body to heal itself. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the additional benefits of HM as an adjunctive to conventional periodontal treatment (CPT).
  
  
  METHODS
  After sample size calculation, sixty individuals of both genders, and ages varying between 35 and 70 years old, 40 with chronic periodontitis (CP group - CPG) and 20 without CP (Healthy Group - HG) participated in this "Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial". The CP patients were divided into two groups: one was submitted only to CPT (CP Control Group - CPT-C) and the other group was submitted to CPT and HM, according to the similia principle (CP Test Group - CPTT). Assessments were made at baseline and after 90 days of treatments. The local and systemic responses to the treatments were evaluated by clinical and laboratory parameters, respectively. Data were analyzed by parametric and nonparametric tests. The level of significance was 5%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, CP patients presented higher values of LDL cholesterol and blood glucose than HG individuals. After the treatment, all the systemic parameters evaluated decreased in CP patients, except LDL and HDL Cholesterol in CPT-C, and HDL Cholesterol in CPT-T. There was a statistical gain in clinical attachment level only in CPT-T (+0.51 mm) after 90 days; however, there was a reduction in probing depth, in the level of visible plaque and in the bleeding on probing, in both CP groups (CPT-C and CPT-T) after 90 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this 3-month follow-up study concluded that H M, as an adjunctive to CPT, can provide additional benefits in the treatment of CP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, Veiga de Almeida University (UVA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Hahnemanniano Institute of Brazil (IHB), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: leilamourao@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Mourão
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moutinho
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Canabarro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D055113:Chronic Periodontitis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003773:Dental Plaque; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006705:Homeopathy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008419:Materia Medica / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010512:Periodontal Index; D016037:Single-Blind Method
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008419:Materia Medica
keywords: Chronic periodontitis; Conventional periodontal treatment; Homeopathy