Rationale of Antibiotics in Periodontal Therapy

Abstract

Periodontitis is an infection-driven inammatory condition that leads to destruction of the attachment apparatus of the tooth where, the major etiological factor leading to the destruction is plaque. Plaque act as a reservoir for the complex subgingival microbiota. Therefore, an inference here could be drawn that with the overall reduction of micro-organism, disease progression could be halted. Periodontal therapy aims at restoring balanced periodontal health along with the compatible oral microbiota. Treatment of periodontal disease aims at achieving a healthy periodontium and preventing the risk of recurrence or disease progression. Due to specic properties of biolm, the subgingival periodontal microbiota are more difcult to target which leads to dearth of clear protocols for the use of antibiotics and therefore, the development of specically designed strategies to treat the subgingival microbiota, as a biolm, is highly desirable. So, comes the use of antibiotics in periodontal therapy. Systemic antibiotics enter periodontal tissues via serum and can affect microorganisms outside the reach of adequate instrumentation and towards use of topical anti-infective chemotherapeutics. Antibiotic therapy delays subgingival recolonisation of the microbial pathogens by potentially suppressing the periodontal pathogens residing onto the oral surfaces. Antibiotic treatment strategies in conjugation with proper mechanical biolm disruption, eventually helps in maintaining the periodontal health by minimizing and eradicating subgingival periodontalpathogens and thereby, improves the status of clinical outcomes of periodontal therapy. This review henceforth, attempts to highlight the walk-on part of antibiotics in periodontal therapy.