Thirty-one patients with chronic
adult periodontitis participated in this long-term private practice study. Sixty-one sites with moderate (4-6 mm, n = 21) or deep (> or = 7 mm, n = 40)
periodontal pockets and
bleeding on probing were treated with an
antibiotic-releasing fiber,
Actisite (Periodontal Therapeutic System) (
tetracycline hydrochloride).
Scaling/root planing (SRP) was performed on all teeth 3 weeks before start of the study, and on most teeth immediately before fiber insertion. Monolithic fibers loaded with 25%
tetracycline hydrochloride were inserted in
periodontal pockets, where they were retained for a mean of 6.7 days, at which point they were removed. Patients were evaluated at 1, 3, and 6 months
after treatment; subgroups were also evaluated at normalized 12-month (10 patients, 20 sites) and 24-month (13 patients, 20 sites) time points. Sites showed a mean probing depth reduction of 2.5 mm at 6 months, and 2.2 mm at 24 months, with the deepest sites showing the greatest reduction.
Bleeding on probing was 100% at baseline, 34% at 3 months, and 50% at 6 months. Attachment gains in 18 patients (25 sites) were 2.4 mm at 1 month, 3.0 mm at 3 months, and 2.5 mm at 6 months. Fibers were well tolerated; no adverse effects from treatment were noted. These results indicate that use of
tetracycline fiber plus SRP clearly reduced the clinical signs of
periodontal disease and maintained or improved attachment for up to 24 months in sites previously refractory to treatment.