July 2013

Aim: To evaluate the clinical and microbiological effects of irrigation with 10% povidone-iodine (PVP-I) as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) in the treatment of chronic periodontitis (ChP). Methods: Thirty-six subjects with ChP were randomly assigned to receive SRP + irriga- tion with saline solution (control group) or SRP + irrigation with 10% PVP-I (test group). Subjects received clinical and microbiological evaluation at baseline, 30 and 90 days post-treatment. Six subgingival plaque samples/subject were collected at each time point and individually analyzed for 40 bacterial species by checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization. Results: No statistically signifi cant differences were observed between the two groups at 90 days post-treatment. At 30 days, the test group presented with lower levels of Tan- nerella forsythia and lower proportions of red complex pathogens in comparison to the control group. However, these benefi ts were not maintained at 90 days. Conclusion: The results of this study were unable to show a signifi cant clinical benefi t from the adjunctive use of 10% PVP-I in the treatment of chronic periodontitis. However, the microbiological benefi t observed with the use of this substance at 30 days might indicate a role for PVP-I in periodontal care, possibly through its repeated application during supportive therapy.