%0 Systematic Review
%T Local drug delivery in the treatment of furcation defects in periodontitis: a systematic review.
%A Chatzopoulos GS
%A Koidou VP
%A Tsalikis L
%J Clin Oral Investig
%V 27
%N 3
%D Mar 2023
%M 36729235
%F 3.606
%R 10.1007/s00784-023-04871-0
%X <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>To evaluate the effect of subgingival administration of various antimicrobials and host-modulating agents in furcation defects as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) compared to SRP alone or combined with placebo.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>A systematic review was carried out using MEDLINE-PubMed, Embase, and Scopus for articles up to October 2022 in addition to hand searches. All longitudinal studies that evaluated the effect of subgingival application of antimicrobial and host-modulating agents in furcation defects as adjuncts to SRP compared to SRP alone or SRP + placebo with at least 3 months of follow-up were eligible for inclusion.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>A total of eight studies were included. Superior clinical treatment outcomes were shown when alendronate, rosuvastatin, boric acid, simvastatin, and tetracycline (only at 3 months) were utilized in furcation defects in conjunction with SRP alone or SRP + placebo. Significant improvement was reported in radiographic bone defect depth and defect depth reduction when SRP was supplemented with alendronate, rosuvastatin, boric acid, and simvastatin.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Within the limitations of this review, the adjunctive subgingival administration of medications and host-modulating agents in furcation defects may confer additional clinical and radiographic benefits than non-surgical periodontal treatment alone. Future investigations are needed to confirm their long-term effectiveness.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Local host modulators and antimicrobials may be used supplementary to enhance the clinical and radiographic treatment outcomes of conventional periodontal therapy in furcation defects.