Skip to content

Antimicrobial Therapy as Adjunct to Periodontal Treatment: Effect of Timing

Antimicrobial Therapy as Adjunct to Periodontal Treatment: Effect of Timing on Clinical, Microbiological and Systemic Response

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02197260
Acronym
GAR
Enrollment
80
Registered
2014-07-22
Start date
2008-09-30
Completion date
2014-03-31
Last updated
2014-07-22

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Chronic Periodontitis

Keywords

Periodontitis, amoxicillin, metronidazole, case management

Brief summary

It is common practice to carry out the therapy of periodontal diseases in two phases. In a first, non-surgical phase, bacterial deposits on tooth surfaces (plaque and calculus) are removed using a cleaning method called scaling and root planing (SRP). After three to six months the case is evaluated and, if necessary, further treatment is provided, usually taking a more aggressive, surgical approach. Beneficial effects of adjunctive systemic antibiotics on clinical outcomes have been shown repeatedly but specific indications for antibiotics in subgroups of diseased patients, and the optimal timing of antimicrobial therapy, continue to be issues of a long lasting controversy.This study assessed the differential outcomes of periodontal therapy supplemented with amoxicillin-metronidazole during either the non-surgical or the surgical treatment phase.

Detailed description

Single center, randomized placebo controlled crossover clinical trial with a one-year follow-up. Eighty participants with Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans-associated chronic or aggressive periodontitis were randomized into two treatment groups. A: Antibiotics (3/d 500 mg metronidazole plus 375 mg amoxicillin for 7 days) during the first, non-surgical phase of periodontal therapy (T1), and placebo during the second, surgical phase (T2). B: Placebo during T1, and antibiotics during T2. Persistence of sites with a probing depth (PD) \>4 mm and bleeding on probing (BOP) was the primary outcome. Evaluations were made three months after T1, as well as 6 and 12 months after T2.

Interventions

DRUG3/d 500 mg metronidazole plus 375 mg amoxicillin for 7 days

Systemic antibiotics after sub gingival mechanical debridement

Sponsors

University of Geneva, Switzerland
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
25 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Untreated moderate to advanced periodontitis (at least 4 teeth with a probing pocket depth (PD) \>4 mm, clinical attachment loss of at least 2 mm and radiographic evidence of bone loss) * Presence of at least 12 scorable teeth (not including 3rd molars, teeth with orthodontic appliances, bridges, crowns or implants) * Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans-positive

Exclusion criteria

* Systemic illnesses (i.e. diabetes mellitus, cancer, HIV, bone metabolic diseases or disorders that compromise wound healing, radiation or immunosuppressive therapy) * Pregnancy or lactation * Systemic antibiotics taken within the previous two months * Use of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs * Confirmed or suspected intolerance to 5-nitroimidazole-derivatives or amoxicillin subgingival SRP or surgical periodontal therapy in the last year

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
Number of persisting pockets >4 mm bleeding upon probingone year after therapy

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Pocket depth of sites with baseline PD >4 mmone year

Other

MeasureTime frame
Adverse eventsone year

Countries

Switzerland

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 3, 2026