The adjunctive use of host modulators in non-surgical periodontal therapy. A systematic review of randomized, placebo-controlled clinical studies

Background: Considering the role of the inflammatory host response in the pathogenesis of periodontitis, different host modulators have been proposed to enhance the outcomes of non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT), but their efficacy has not been fully clarified.

Objectives: This systematic review investigated the efficacy of host modulators combined with NSPT in reducing probing pocket depth (PPD) in periodontitis patients.

Materials and methods: Placebo-controlled RCTs with ≥6 months follow-up were searched. Meta-analysis was conducted when ≥5 studies using the same host modulator were identified.

Results: Fifty eight studies met the inclusion criteria. After 6 months, local administration of 1.2% statin gels as adjuncts to NSPT significantly improved PPD reduction (1.83 mm) in infrabony defects and systemic administration of sub-antimicrobial dose doxycycline (SDD) in addition to NSPT improved PPD reduction of deep pockets. Administration of probiotics conferred limited clinical benefits. Local bisphosphonate and metformin gels showed potential for clinical use in infrabony defects, which needs to be confirmed.

Conclusions: Local delivery of statins in infrabony defects and systemic SDD for deep pockets may confer additional clinical benefits to NSPT. Their long-term effectiveness and safety need to be confirmed in independent multi-centred studies. Further studies are needed to confirm the benefit of other host modulators.