Evaluation of Clinical Efficacy of Subgingivally Delivered Propolis in Treatment of Chronic Periodontitis: A Case Control Study

Background Periodontal diseases represent a group of microbial induced infections that cause progressive loss of attachment and formation of periodontal pockets. They are routinely treated by meticulous mechanical procedures. Sometimes to completely eliminate the periodontopathic bacteria in deeper pockets, systemically or locally delivered antimicrobials are also required. Thus, the aim of the present study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy of Propolis in treating chronic periodontitis when delivered subgingivally. Materials and Methods A total of 100 subjects (150 sites) were recruited for the study. The sites were randomly divided into two groups group I (n=50, sites = 70) and group II (n=50, sites = 80). The sites in group I received SRP alone and the sites in group II received SRP followed by subgingival Propolis. The clinical parameters of Gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) were recorded at baseline and 3 months. Results The results revealed that there is a significant reduction in the PI and GI in both the groups with significantly more reduction seen in group II compared to group I. Also, the PPD and CAL showed significant improvement in both the groups with better results in group II. Conclusion The results of the present study suggest that the Propolis is effective in treating chronic periodontitis when delivered subgingivally.