Antimicrobial Therapy as Adjunct to Periodontal Treatment: Effect of Timing

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2014-03-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

It is common practice to carry out the therapy of periodontal diseases in two phases. In a first, non-surgical phase, bacterial deposits on tooth surfaces (plaque and calculus) are removed using a cleaning method called "scaling and root planing" (SRP). After three to six months the case is evaluated and, if necessary, further treatment is provided, usually taking a more aggressive, surgical approach. Beneficial effects of adjunctive systemic antibiotics on clinical outcomes have been shown repeatedly but specific indications for antibiotics in subgroups of diseased patients, and the optimal timing of antimicrobial therapy, continue to be issues of a long lasting controversy.This study assessed the differential outcomes of periodontal therapy supplemented with amoxicillin-metronidazole during either the non-surgical or the surgical treatment phase.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University of Geneva, Switzerland
• Treatments: Amoxicillin; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Metronidazole

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Untreated moderate to advanced periodontitis (at least 4 teeth with a probing pocket depth (PD) >4 mm, clinical attachment loss of at least 2 mm and radiographic evidence of bone loss)

• Presence of at least 12 scorable teeth (not including 3rd molars, teeth with orthodontic appliances, bridges, crowns or implants)

• Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans-positive

Exclusion Criteria:

• Systemic illnesses (i.e. diabetes mellitus, cancer, HIV, bone metabolic diseases or disorders that compromise wound healing, radiation or immunosuppressive therapy)

• Pregnancy or lactation

• Systemic antibiotics taken within the previous two months

• Use of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs

• Confirmed or suspected intolerance to 5-nitroimidazole-derivatives or amoxicillin subgingival SRP or surgical periodontal therapy in the last year