Clinical and microbiological effects of topical minocycline in the treatment of elderly patients with periodontitis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a 2% w/w minocycline gel (Dentomycin) in the treatment of older adults with chronic periodontitis. DESIGN: Vehicle-controlled, split-mouth SETTING: Dental Institute, St Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry. SUBJECTS: 22 adults (mean age 60 years). INTERVENTIONS: At baseline, patients received scaling and root planing. Test and placebo were applied at contralateral disease sites surrounding 22 test and 22 control teeth at baseline, and at weeks 2 and 4. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Probing pocket depth, bleeding on probing and supragingival plaque measurements, and microbiological sampling, at one pocket site per tooth were undertaken at baseline, and at weeks 2, 4, 6 and 16. RESULTS: Microbial counts of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia and Eikenella corrodens did not change significantly over 16 weeks. No significant reductions in bleeding on probing and supragingival plaque score occurred with either gel. A larger reduction in mean pocket depth, from baseline to week 16, was found at test (6.50 to 4.95 mm; 24% reduction; P < 0.01) than at control sites (6.41 to 5.53 mm; 14% reduction; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Minocycline gel administration is a useful adjunct to scaling and root planing in the treatment of older adults with periodontitis.