Effect of green tea catechin, a local drug delivery system as an adjunct to scaling and root planing in chronic periodontitis patients: A clinicomicrobiological study

BACKGROUND: Evaluate the adjunctive use of locally delivered green tea catechin with scaling and root planing, as compared to scaling and root planing alone in the management of chronic periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen patients with two sites in the contralateral quadrants with probing pocket depth of 5–8mm were selected. Each of the sites was assessed for the plaque index, gingival index, and probing pocket depth at baseline and 21 days and for microbiological analysis at baseline, 1 week and 21 days. Test sites received scaling and root planing along with green tea catechin strips and control sites received scaling and root planning alone. RESULTS: The result showed intercomparison of the plaque index and gingival index for test and control groups at 21 days was not significant with P>0.05, whereas the probing depth at 21 days was significant with P<0.001. Intercomparison between microbial results demonstrated a considerable reduction of occurrence of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium species and Capnocytophaga in test. CONCLUSION: Green tea catechin local delivery along with scaling and root planing is more effective than scaling and root planing alone.