Topical Application of 2% Minocycline Hydrochloride Ointment effects on the Acute Phase of Periodontitis

Abstract

The acute phase of periodontitis (periodontal abscess) has been thought to be related with rapid periodontal breakdown. The effects of topical application of 2% minocycline hydrochloride ointment into the periodontal pockets in the acute phase of periodontitis were studied. One hundred patients with acute periodontitis including periodontal abscesses participated in this study. Patients were assigned randomly to either the test or control groups and compared by a blind method. Acute periodontitis including the periodontal abscesses were treated by subgingival irrigation plus application of 2% minocycline hydrochloride (test group) or by subgingival irrigation only (control group), and examined clinically at baseline, third and seventh days. Microbiological samples were also collected at the baseline and seventh days. The study was performed based on the standards of Good Clinical Practice (GCP). Though the clinical improvements were observed in both groups after treatment, the test group had better results than the control group. The test group showed better improvement of probing depth and attachment level than the control group. On bacteriological examination, both groups exhibited reduction of colony-forming units (CFU) of subgingival plaque bacteria, and higher reduction was observed in the test group. In a comparison of periodontopathic bacteria detection, the frequencies of detection of Bacteroides forsythus, Porphyrornonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola were reduced only in the test group. These results indicate that the topical application of 2% minocycline hydrochloride ointment was effective for treatment of the acute phase of periodontitis. J. Jpn. Soc. Periodontol., 41 : 436-449, 1999.