[A new gel for topical use in treating severe periodontal disease--clinical observations].

Within the framework of the efforts to find non-invasive treatment methods for severe periodontitis, a topical gel was developed by an Israeli research group. The aim of the current study is to present clinical observations and X-ray measurements of alveolar bone changes following an 8 week, self-care periodontal treatment in two groups of patients with severe periodontitis. All 31 patients who participated in the study showed an improvement of the periodontal condition as expressed in all the indexes examined. The observation findings testify to the fact that through self-care using a topical gel, significant results were achieved: decrease in probing depth, decrease in bleeding, significant improvement in teeth mobility and in level of the alveolar bone height and its density. These clinical findings raise interesting research questions and hint at the potential for regeneration of supportive periodontal tissues in cases of severe periodontitis, currently achieved only through surgical means. In order to obtain more accurate data regarding the treatment potential of this gel, it is important to conduct additional controlled clinical trials on different populations and also to try and determine how it works.