Local Delivery of Hyaluronan as an Adjunct to Scaling and Root Planing in the Treatment of Chronic Periodontitis

Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the adjunctive effect of the local application of a hyaluronan gel to scaling and root planing in the treatment of chronic periodontitis. Methods: Twelve patients with chronic periodontitis were recruited to participate in a study with a split-mouth design and provided informed consent. Plaque formation and bleeding on probing were evaluated pretreatment (baseline) and at 1, 4, and 12 weeks post-treatment. Probing depths and attachment levels were evaluated at baseline and at 12 weeks. The patients received full-mouth scaling and root planing. A hyaluronan gel was administered subgingivally in the test sites at baseline and after 1 week. Significant differences between test and control were evaluated using the paired t test, repeated-measures analysis of variance (Wilks lambda), and a non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: A significant reduction in bleeding on probing scores and probing depths was observed in both groups at 12 weeks (P < 0.05). Significantly lower bleeding on probing scores were observed in the hyaluronan group compared to control at 12 weeks (P < 0.05). Mean probing depth reductions between baseline and 12 weeks were 1.0 +/- 0.3 mm and 0.8 +/- 0.2 mm for the hyaluronan and control groups, respectively. The difference between the groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The local application of hyaluronan gel in conjunction with scaling and root planing may have a beneficial effect on periodontal health in patients with chronic periodontitis. J Periodontot 2009;80:1493-1497.