The effect of topical metronidazole therapy on experimentally‐induced periodontitis in the beagle dog

The present study was performed to assess the effect of topical metronidazole therapy on ligature-induced periodontitis in beagle dogs. 6 beagle dogs with experimentally-induced periodontitis on the mandibular 2nd, 3rd and 4th premolars were treated with metronidazole 10% dental paste 2 x daily for 4 weeks in an open placebo-controlled study using a split-mouth design. Recordings of probing pocket depth, bleeding on probing and gingival index were performed before commencement of treatment and repeated weekly during the 4-weeks treatment period. Concurrently, samples for microbiological analysis were collected from 2 of the dogs. The results demonstrated that probing pocket depth, bleeding on probing and gingival index had improved significantly in the metronidazole-treated side compared with the placebo-treated side. Black pigmented Bacteroides spp. and Spirochetes, present in all samples before treatment, were eliminated from the metronidazole-treated side after the 1st week of treatment and throughout the treatment period, whereas they were present in all samples from the placebo-treated side. The result of the present study demonstrates that topical application of metronidazole in a dental paste, improves the clinical features of the experimentally-induced periodontitis and eliminates some of the micro-organisms associated with the disease.