Effect of minocycline for treatment of periodontitis in male smokers

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of minocycline as an adjunct to scaling and root planning (SRP) in male smokers with chronic periodontitis. Methods: 58 male smokers with moderate to advanced periodontitis were randomly divided into two groups: SRP alone(SRP) and SRP plus minocycline(SRP+M). All clinical parameters including plaque index(PI),gingival index(GI),bleeding on probing(BOP),probing depth(PD) and attachment loss(AL) were recorded at baseline,3 and 6 months after treatment. Results: According to PI,GI and BOP, there was no significant difference between the two groups at 3 and 6 months after periodontal therapy( P>0.05). However, PD reduction and attachment gain were significantly greater for SRP+M than for SRP(PD reduction was 1.98mm and 1.32mm, respectively; attachment gain was 1.87mm and 1.14mm, respectively, P<0.05). Moreover, deep pockets in SRP+M group showed a more obvious PD reduction(3.48mm versus 2.21mm, P<0.01) and attachment gain (2.62mm versus 1.23mm, P<0.01). Conclusions: Treatment with SRP plus locally delivered minocycline is more effective than SRP alone in male smokers with chronic periodontitis. Mechanical debridement plus locally delivered antibiotics are recommended especially for smokers with deep pocket periodontitis.