Efficacy of Metronidazole and Minocycline Gels in the Management of Periodontitis in Diabetic Patients: A Comparitive Study

Background: Diabetes and periodontitis are interlinked. Objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of metronidazole and minocycline gels alone and in combination, used as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) for the management of periodontitis in diabetic patients. Methods: This randomized single blind clinical study, randomized 380 diabetic chronic periodontitis patients presenting to Periodontology Department, Dental College HITEC-IMS HIT, Taxila, from Sep 2022 to Aug 2023, into 4 groups: SRP alone (Group-I), SRP plus metronidazole gel (Group-II), SRP plus minocycline gel (Group-III), and SRP plus both metronidazole and minocycline gels (Group-IV). The effectiveness of four treatment regimens was assessed by checking the difference in periodontal measurements, including periodontal probing depth (PPD), and bleeding on probing (BOP) at baseline, after 15 days, and 45 days of the treatment, and the percentage was measured. Results: Every patient showed notable progress in periodontal probing depth and bleeding on probing after the treatment. Group IV stood out in both parameters. Mean periodontal probing depth was reduced by 17.4, 32.5, 39.54, and 79.65% in Groups-I, II, III, and IV, respectively. In Groups-II, III, and IV, BOP decreased by 80%, 89.47%, and 100% respectively. Conclusion: Metronidazole gel has comparable efficacy to minocycline gel, and their combination has demonstrated synergistic effects in treating diabetic periodontitis patients and should be used as an adjunct to scaling and root planing for better outcomes. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT06027151 Pak J Physiol 2025;21(2):7–11, DOI: https://doi.org/10.69656/pjp.v21i2.1678