A study by Dr. Dong-Yeol Jung et al published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology assessed the effectiveness of adjunctive application of locally-delivered minocycline ointment associated with flap surgery for the treatment of patients with chronic severe periodontitis. The study involved 20 patients with chronic severe periodontitis who were treated in a split-mouth study with either adjunctive application of locally delivered minocycline ointment in association with flap surgery (FM) or flap surgery only (FO); additional minocycline application was performed at 3 months postoperationly. Clinical evaluation of the plaque index, probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BOP), gingival recession, and clinical attachment level (CAL) was conducted at baseline and at 3 and 6 months after treatment. The study found that while both sites exhibited clinical improvement, there was a statistically significant reduction in PD (3.34 mm ± 0.03 mm) and BOP (78.01% ± 11.42%), and a significant gain of CAL (1.88 mm ± 0.21 mm) at the FM site compared to the FO site (reduction of PD and BOP: 2.62 mm ± 0.06 mm, 50.33% ± 15.01%, and gain of CAL: 1.55 mm ± 0.13 mm) at 6 months postoperation (P < .05). The study concluded that adjunctive application of locally-delivered minocycline may be beneficial to the surgical treatment protocol of chronic severe periodontitis.
(Source: Journal of Clinical Periodontology, manuscript accepted online May 8, 2012)
