The effects of adjunctive metronidazole plus amoxicillin in the treatment of generalized aggressive periodontitis: a 1-year double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial

Aim To evaluate the clinical effects of the adjunctive use of metronidazole (MTZ) and amoxicillin (AMX) in the treatment of generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP). Methods Thirty subjects were randomly assigned to receive scaling and root planing (SRP) alone or combined with MTZ (400 similar to mg/TID) and AMX (500 similar to mg/TID) for 14 similar to days. Subjects were clinically monitored at baseline, 6 similar to months and 1 similar to year post-therapies. Results Both therapies led to a statistically significant improvement in all clinical parameters at 1 similar to year post-therapy (p similar to<similar to 0.05). Subjects receiving MTZ plus AMX exhibited the deepest reductions in mean probing depth (PD) and gain in clinical attachment between baseline and 1 similar to year post-therapy in the full-mouth analysis and in initially intermediate (PD 46 similar to mm) and deep (PD=7 similar to mm) sites (p similar to<similar to 0.01). In addition, the antibiotic group presented lower mean number of residual sites with PD=5 or 6 similar to mm as well as fewer subjects still presenting nine or more sites with PD=5 similar to mm or three or more sites with PD=6 similar to mm at the end of the study period. Conclusion The non-surgical treatment of GAgP is markedly improved by the adjunctive use of MTZ+AMX, up to 1 similar to year post-treatment.