Review Article LOCAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS IN THE TREATMENT OF PERIODONTITIS: A REVIEW

Periodontitis, a disease involving supportive structures of the teeth prevails in all groups, ethnicities, races and both genders. It is a localised inflammatory response caused by bacterial infection of a periodontal pocket associated with subgingival plaque. Periodontal diseases include conditions such as chronic periodontitis, aggressive periodontitis and necrotizing periodontitis. Aggressive forms of periodontitis can be localized or generalized. Antibacterial agents have been used effectively in the management of periodontal infection. The effectiveness of mechanical debridement of plaque and repeated topical and systemic administration of antibacterial agents are limited due to the lack of accessibility to periodontopathic organisms in the periodontal pocket. Systemic administration of drugs leads to therapeutic concentrations at the site of infection, but for short periods of time, forcing repeated dosing for longer periods. Local delivery of antimicrobials has been investigated for the possibility of overcoming the limitations of conventional therapy. The use of sustained release formulations to deliver antibacterials to the site of infection (periodontal pocket) is gaining interest. These products provide a long-term, effective treatment at the site of infection at much smaller doses. This review approaches the main delivery systems for the administration of drugs to the periodontal pocket, their usefulness, as well as the advancement of these systems effectiveness in the periodontal therapy