Comparative evaluation of efficacy of oral curcumin gel as an adjunct to scaling and root planing in the treatment of chronic periodontitis

Background: A large number of in vitro and in vivo studies in both animals and humans have reported that curcumin has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-microbial and anti-parasitic properties. Curcuma longa is also used externally for inflammation of oral mucosa. To overcome the adverse effects caused by the chemical agents, curcumin is proposed as an alternative for the treatment of gingivitis and periodontitis. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the role of topical application of oral curcumin gel with scaling and root planing (SRP) on chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods: In this clinical study, forty participants with mild chronic periodontitis were included. Included participants underwent Phase I therapy, after which they were allocated into two groups (20 each), out of which only one group received curcumin gel for topical application. Plaque index (PI), bleeding on probing measured by sulcus bleeding index, probing pocket depth and clinical attachment level (CAL) were recorded at baseline and at the follow-up after 2 months. Results: Both test and control groups showed statistically significant reduction in PI, sulcular bleeding index, pocket probing depth and CAL. Curcumin gel group showed statistically significant difference compared to the control group with respect to PI ( Conclusion: Curcumin as an adjunct to SRP showed higher reduction in plaque accumulation, sulcular bleeding and pocket probing depth as compared to SRP alone.