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- Title
Clinical and microbiologic effects of single-dose metronidazole or scaling and root planing in treatment of adult periodontitis.
- Authors
Walsh, M. M.; Buchanan, S. A.; Hoover, C. I.; Newbrun, E.; Taggart, E. J.; Armitage, G. C.; Robertson, P. B.
- Abstract
Sites affected with adult periodontitis were observed for 3 months to compare their clinical and microbiologic responses to (1) a single 2 g dose of metronidazole, (2) scaling and root planing, or (3) no treatment. 2 sites with probing depths ≥ 5 mm in each of 18 female subjects (6 in each treatment group) were evaluated clinically (plaque and bleeding indices, probing depth, attachment loss) and microbiologically (%s of cocci, motile rods, non-motile rods and spirochetes, and of obligate anaerobic colony-forming units, black-pigmented <em>Bacteroides, Fusobacterium</em> and <em>Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans</em> in subgingival plaque). No significant differences in these variables existed between the 3 groups at baseline. The no-treatment (control) group showed no substantial clinical or microbiologic changes during the study. After 1 month, scaling and root planing had effected significant clinical improvement and significant shifts in the subgingival flora to a pattern more consistent with periodontal health; these changes were still evident at 3 months. In contrast, 1 month after metronidazole, there was some clinical improvement and a significant increase in cocci and a decrease in motile rods, but at 3 months these changes were no longer evident. The results show that the benefits of scaling and root planing are sustained for at least 3 months. However, the benefits of a single 2 g dose of metronidazole are both few and transient, indicating that this regimen, while effective against anaerobic infections in other organ systems, is not clinically or microbiologically effective in the treatment of adult periodontitis.
- Subjects
ANTIPARASITIC agents; METRONIDAZOLE; PERIODONTAL disease; PERIODONTITIS; HEMORRHAGE; BACTEROIDES
- Publication
Journal of Clinical Periodontology, 1986, Vol 13, Issue 2, p151
- ISSN
0303-6979
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1600-051X.1986.tb01449.x