The use of topical subgingival gels of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as an adjunct to non-surgical management of chronic periodontitis.

The treatment of chronic periodontitis consists of conventional mechanical debridement and removal of plaque and calculus'. Topical NSAIDs could be used to complement the therapy as an adjunct to resolve the inflammatory process and clinical signs of the disease more rapidly. A randomized clinical trial was performed on 33 systemically healthy patients diagnosed with chronic periodontitis, aged 21 to 40 years. All patients underwent scaling and root planing on one quadrant per week, and sub-gingival gel was applied 48 hours after each session. Patients were grouped into 4 treatment protocols with gels containing: (1) placebo, (2) 1% acetyl-salicylic acid (ASA), (3) 1% ketoprofen (KTP) and (4) 2% ketoprofen. The clinical variables studied were: probing depth, attachment level, tooth mobility, plaque index, gingival index and bleeding on probing. All protocols (groups 1, 2, 3 and 4) induced a reduction of probing depths, plaque and gingival indices and bleeding on probing. The 1% ASA and 2% KTP protocols (groups 2 and 4) significantly reduced the probing depth variable (ANOVA p<0.05).