Evidence on pharmacological agents for treating bony defects in chronic periodontitis: A network meta‑analysis

Abstract

Background: Chronic periodontitis is an infectious disease of the oral cavity that causes
progressive destruction of periodontal tissues, leading to structural changes like attachment loss,
bone resorption, resulting in bony defects, and potential tooth loss if left untreated. Effective drugs,
such as alendronate, rosuvastatin (RSV), atorvastatin, melatonin, and metformin (MF), have been used
as adjuncts to scaling and root planning and require evaluation for their comparative effectiveness
in treating bony defects in patients with chronic periodontitis. This study aims to compare the
effectiveness of these drugs for treating such defects.
Materials and Methods: This network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted following
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‑analyses guidelines and registered
in PROSPERO (CRD42024600432). A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane
Library identified 11 eligible randomized clinical trials reporting changes in clinical attachment
level (CAL) and bone fill (BF) at 6 months posttreatment. The NMA systematically compared
treatment outcomes across different intervention groups.
Results: MF was the most effective treatment for CAL and BF at 6 months. Ranking probabilities
indicated that MF and RSV had the highest likelihood of being the most effective treatments.
Conclusion: These findings from the NMA suggest that MF may be an effective option for CAL
improvement and BF. Further research is needed to validate these results and optimize treatment
strategies for bony defects in chronic periodontitis.
Key Words: Alendronate, bone regeneration, chronic periodontitis, intrabony defects, melatonin, metformin, network meta‑analysis, rosuvastatin

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 Surekha Ramrao Rathod: Pubmed,Google Scholar