A Comparison of the Efficacy of Turmeric Gel (2%) as Local Drug Delivery Agent with Scaling and Root Planing in the Treatment of Chronic Periodontitis: A Clinical Study

Periodontitis is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in the world; with the primary etiological agent being pathogenic bacteria that reside in the subgingival area. Conventional periodontal therapy consists of mechanical debridement to disrupt the subgingival microbiota. The comprehensive mechanical debridement of sites with deep periodontal pockets is difficult to achieve. This has led to the adjunctive use of antimicrobial agents delivered either systemically or locally. As the systemic use of antimicrobial agents may cause several side effects like hypersensitivity, resistant strains, and super infections, their local administration has received considerable attention. Local drug delivery systems allow the therapeutic agents to be targeted to the disease site. Thus, the dose can be minimized, reducing the systemic absorption and subsequent risk of adverse side effects. Higher concentration of a therapeutic agent can be attained in subgingival sites by local drug delivery compared with a systemic drug regimen. For subgingival application, various antimicrobial agents have been tried, including tetracycline, metronidazole, and chlorhexidine, either on their own or in combination with scaling and root planing (SRP). Chlorhexidine (CHX) is a highly effective antimicrobial agent that is extensively studied and shown to be effective as a mouth rinse and also as a subgingival irrigant. Having shown broad spectrum of topical antimicrobial activity, it also shows substantivity, effectiveness, safety, and lack of toxicity.