title: Efficacy of curcumin as an adjunct to scaling and root planning in chronic periodontitis patients: A clinical and microbiological study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Curcumin is a naturally occurring anti-inflammatory agent with various biologic and medicinal properties. Its therapeutic applications have been studied in a variety of conditions, but only few studies have evaluated the efficacy of curcumin as local drug delivery agent and in the treatment of periodontitis. The present study was to evaluate the efficacy of the adjunctive use of curcumin with scaling/root planing as compared with scaling/root planing alone in the treatment of the chronic periodontitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients with two sites in the contralateral quadrants having probing pocket depths (PPDs) of ≥5 mm were selected. Full mouth scaling and root planing (SRP) was performed followed by application of curcumin gel on a single side. Assessment of plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), PPD, and clinical attachment levels (CALs) were done at baseline and at 4(th) week. Microbiologic assessment with polymerase chain reaction was done for Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tanerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola by collection of plaque samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results revealed that there was a reduction in PI, GI, probing depth, CAL, and microbiologic parameters in test sites following SRP and curcumin gel application, when compared with SRP alone in control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The local application of curcumin in conjunction with scaling and root planing have showed improvement in periodontal parameters and has a beneficial effect in patients with chronic periodontitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, St. Joseph Dental College, Duggirala, Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagasri
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, St. Joseph Dental College, Duggirala, Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Madhulatha
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, St. Joseph Dental College, Duggirala, Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: S V V S
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Musalaiah
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, St. Joseph Dental College, Duggirala, Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: P Aravind
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, St. Joseph Dental College, Duggirala, Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: C H Murali
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Krishna
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, St. Joseph Dental College, Duggirala, Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: P Mohan
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Kumar
keywords: Curcumin; periodontitis; polymerase chain reaction; scaling and root planing