Effectiveness of Hydrogen Peroxide as a sub gingival irrigant - A clinical study

Introduction: Periodontitis a chronic inflammatory disease results in the destruction of tooth supporting tissues, eventually progresses to tooth loss. Non-surgical periodontal therapy in form of scaling and root planning although considered as a gold standard, does not completely eradicate periodontal pathogens. Limitation of access and bacterial invasion of periodontal tissues being the main reason and hence the demand for an adjunctive measure is necessitated. Sub gingival irrigation interferes with various plaque components predominantly anaerobic bacterial flora which is known to initiate and perpetuate periodontal destruction. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of sub gingival irrigation with 3% H2O2 compared to normal saline. Material and methods: 20 patients were taken for the study. After scaling and root planing, quadrants in each patient's mouth were randomly treated two with 20 ml 3% H2O2 sub gingival irrigation and the other two with normal saline. Sub gingival irrigation was performed at baseline and after 1 and 2 weeks. The clinical parameters were recorded at baseline at the end of week 3 and at the end of week 5. Results: Results showed that sub gingival irrigation with 3% H2O2 produced a significant reduction in gingival bleeding, pocket depths and a significant gain in clinical attachment level compared to the control. Conclusion: The results of the present study conclude that that sub gingival irrigation with 3% H2O2 results in inflammation control manifested as decreased gingival bleeding, reduction in pocket depth and gain in relative attachment levels.