Evaluation of local drug-delivery system containing 2% whole turmeric gel used as an adjunct to scaling and root planing in chronic periodontitis: A clinical and microbiological study

AIM: To compare the effect of experimental local-drug delivery system containing 2% whole turmeric (gel form) as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) with the effect achieved using SRP alone by assessing their respective effects on plaque, gingival inflammation, bleeding on probing pocket depth, relative attachment levels and trypsin-like enzyme activity of “red complex” microorganisms, namely, Bacteroides forsythus, Porphvromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty subjects with chronic localized or generalized periodontitis with pocket depth of 5 to 7 mm were selected in a split-mouth study design. Control sites received SRP alone, while experimental sites received SRP plus experimental material (2% whole turmeric gel). Plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), sulcus bleeding index (SBI), probing pocket depth (PPD), relative attachment loss (RAL), microbiological study of collected plaque sample for trypsin-like activity of “red complex” by BAPNA assay were the parameters recorded on day 0, 30 days and 45 days. RESULTS: Both groups demonstrated statistically significant reduction in PI, GI, SBI, PPD; and gain in RAL. Significant reduction in the trypsin-like enzyme activity of “red complex” (BAPNA values) was observed for both the groups when compared to the baseline activity. Greater reduction was seen in all the parameters in the experimental group in comparison to the control group. CONCLUSION: The experimental local drug-delivery system containing 2% whole turmeric gel can be effectively used as an adjunct to scaling and root planing and is more effective than scaling and root planing alone in the treatment of periodontal pockets.