Recent trends in treatment of periodontitis

Periodontal diseases are one of the common microbial infections which affect 35% of adult population in the world. Periodontal diseases are of two types- gingivitis and periodontitis. Periodontal disease has been considered as a possible risk factor for other systemic diseases such as cardiovascular. Gingivitis involves general inflammation of the periodontal tissue that starts from the accumulation of sub gingival plaque and results in major damage to the soft tissue and bone. Periodontitis is an inflammatory disorder which is characterized by microbial colonization of periodontal pockets, which ultimately leads to the bacterial plaques and tooth loosening. Aggressive forms of periodontitis can be localized or generalized. Local delivery of antimicrobial agents using controlled release systems should be considered as adjunctive to mechanical debridement for the treatment of localized forms of periodontal destruction. Systemic administration of drugs leads to therapeutic concentrations at the site of infection, but for short periods of time, forcing repeated dosing for longer periods. Biodegradable polymers are extensively employed in periodontal drug delivery devices because of their abundant source, lack of toxicity, and high tissue compatibility. This review approaches the main delivery systems for the administration of drugs to the periodontal pocket, their usefulness, as well as the advancement of these systems effectiveness in the periodontal therapy.