CLINICAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF TOPICAL MINOCYCLINE IN THE TREATMENT OF ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH PERIODONTITIS

Objective To evaluate a 2% w/w minocycline gel (Dentomycin) in the tre atment of older adults with chronic periodontitis. Design Vehicle-cont rolled, split-mouth Setting Dental Institute, St Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Subjects 22 adults (me an age 60 years). Interventions At baseline, patients received scaling and root planing. Test and placebo were applied at contralateral dise ase sites surrounding 22 test and 22 control teeth at baseline, and at weeks 2 and 4, Main outcome measure Probing pocket depth, bleeding on probing and supragingival plaque measurements, and microbiological sa mpling, at one pocket site per tooth were undertaken at baseline, and at weeks 2, 4, 6 and 16. Results Microbial counts of Porphyromonas gin givalis, Prevotella intermedia and Eikenella corrodens did not change significantly over 16 weeks. No significant reductions in bleeding on probing and supragingival plaque score occurred with either gel. A lar ger reduction in mean pocket depth, from baseline to week 16, was foun d at test (6.50 to 4.95 mm; 24% reduction; P < 0.01) than at control s ites (6.41 to 5.53 mm; 14% reduction; P < 0.05). Conclusions Minocycli ne gel administration is a useful adjunct to scaling and root planing in the treatment of older adults with periodontitis.