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

Background and aims. The present study was carried out to evaluate the adjunctive effect of local application of hyaluronan gel with scaling and root planing in the treatment of chronic periodontitis. Materials and methods. Twelve patients with chronic periodontitis participated in the study with a split-mouth design. Plaque formation and bleeding on probing (BOP) were evaluated at baseline and at 1st, 4th and 12th weeks postoperatively. Probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment levels (CAL) were evaluated at baseline and at 12-week postoperative interval. 0.2 mL of 0.8% hyaluronan gel was administered subgingivally in the test sites at baseline and after 1 week. Results. The test group exhibited a significantly lower mean plaque score and mean BOP as compared to the control group at 1st, 4th and 12th weeks (P < 0.05). Between the two groups, post-treatment comparison at 12th week showed lower PD value in the test group as compared to the control group and higher gain in CAL in the test group as compared to the control group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Local application of hyaluronan gel in conjunction with SRP might have a beneficial effect in patients with chronic periodontitis.