A Comparative evaluation of locally delivered licorice gel and tetracycline gel as an adjunct to non-surgical therapy in the treatment of controlled type −2 diabetic patients with periodontitis stage II and grade B – A split mouth randomized clinical trial

Abstract Objectives Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease affecting tooth-supporting structures due to dysbiosis in plaque bio-film. While NSPT remains the gold standard treatment, it limits in its capacity to fully eradicate pathogens, necessitating adjunct antimicrobial therapy. Local drug delivery(LDD) offers targeted treatment with fewer side effects compared to systemic antimicrobial therapy. Recent studies highlight herbal extracts, such as licorice ( Glycyrrhiza glabra ), which exhibit antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, making them promising candidates for LDD. Therefore, the goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of licorice gel and tetracycline gel as a non-surgical treatment auxiliary for individuals with stage II periodontitis and grade B type-2 diabetes. Methods In this randomized, double-blind clinical trial, 20 patients with Type-II diabetes were included. Following NSPT, licorice and tetracycline gel were applied locally as adjuncts to both the test and control groups. Clinical parameters such as Probing pocket depth (PPD), Clinical attachment level (CAL), Bleeding on probing (BOP) were evaluated at base line and 1 month and Landry’s healing index at 7th day. Results In intergroup analysis, licorice gel has shown statistically significant reduction in PPD and CAL with better healing when compared to tetracycline gel.However, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of bleeding on probing. Conclusions Both licorice and tetracycline gel are equally effective in treating pockets but licorice gel as an LDD agent has shown better and encouragingoutcomes in terms of healing, PPD and CAL.