Effects of systemic sitafloxacin on periodontal infection control in elderly patients.

Objective: To evaluate the microbiological and clinical effects of the systemic administration of sitafloxacin (STFX) on periodontal pockets in elderly patients receiving supportive periodontal therapy (SPT).

Background: Periodontitis is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Better periodontal health contributes to reduce atherosclerosis-related diseases in elderly population.

Materials And Methods: Forty-four patients undergoing SPT were randomly assigned to two groups: a test group took 100 mg/day of STFX for five consecutive days, or a control group received scaling and root planing (SRP) under local anaesthesia. Microbiological and clinical parameters were examined at baseline and at 1 and 3 months after therapy.

Results: The presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola and Tannerella forsythia was significantly reduced at 1 month after treatment in both groups. The median reductions of the bacteria between the baseline and 1 month were 3.08 and 2.54% in the STFX- and SRP-treated groups, respectively. Both treatments significantly decreased the probing depth at 1 and 3 months compared to the baseline.

Conclusion: The systemic administration of STFX is effective at improving periodontal health during SPT and could be an alternative to SRP for elderly patients who cannot undergo anaesthesia or are at risk of tissue injury.