Amoxicillin/metronidazole or scaling and root planing in the treatment of chronic periodontitis

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the treatment with amoxicillin or metronidazole in comparison to scaling and root planing in the treatment of chronic periodontitis. Randomised clinical trials were searched in the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, SciELO, Cochrane and Scopus from 1989 to 2010. The search started with 2895 articles.. From this initial number of articles, 10 publications were selected and included in the study according to fixed criteria. Studies included adult patients of both sexes aged between 21 and 80, diagnosed with chronic periodontitis and treated with amoxicillin and/or metronidazole or scaling and root planning. From each article, details were abstracted relating to sample size, design, sex, age, oral hygiene habits, the exposure to drug (doses, schedule), and results such as clinical effect, analysis methods, stratification variables. Conclusion: this meta-analysis showed absence of statistically significant difference between the effects studied.

RESUMEN

El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar el tratamiento con amoxicilina o metronidazol en comparacion con el raspado y alisado radicular en el tratamiento de la periodontitis cronica. Ensayos clinicos aleatorios se seleccionaron de las bases de datos MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scielo, Cochrane, y Scopus desde el ano 1989 a 2010. La busqueda comenzo con 2895 articulos. A partir de este numero inicial de articulos, 10 publicaciones fueron seleccionadas e incluidas en el estudio de acuerdo a los criterios fijados. Los estudios incluyeron pacientes adultos de ambos sexos, con edades entre 21 y 80 anos, diagnosticados con enfermedad periodontal cronica y tratados con amoxicilina y/o metronidazol o raspaje y alisado radicular. De cada articulo se extrajo el tamano muestral, diseno, genero y edad, habitos de higiene oral, medicacion (dosis y esquema), resultado clinico, metodo de analisis y variables de estratificacion. Conclusion: este meta-analisis mostro ausencia de significacion estadistica entre los efectos estudiados.