DELIVERY SYSTEMS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF DRUGS TO THE PERIODONTAL POCKET

A number of delivery systems have been investigated for administration of antibacterial agents in the treatment of plaque-initiated periodontal disease. These include prolonged release intrapocket devices which are inserted at diseased sites. An effective antibacterial concentration is maintained if drug lost by elimination processes is replaced. Bioassays or sensitive HPLC assays may be used to monitor drug concentrations in the gingival crevicular fluid and allow estimation of the duration of effective release. Non-degradable and degradable systems have been developed, and although improvements in clinical and microbiological parameters are reported with both these systems, advantages have been identified with the degradable systems. Importantly, depleted degradable devices do not require removal at the end of treatment, but repeated administration is generally required, as these systems mostly produce effective drug concentrations for short periods. To improve this method of drug administration the aims and optimal duration of treatment need to be further clarified so that development of delivery system can occur through modification of the device's release and degradation characteristics.