The Impact of Obesity on Nonsurgical Periodontal Therapy

The Impact of Obesity on Nonsurgical Periodontal Treatment of Destructive Periodontal Diseases

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect that obesity may have on the nonsurgical treatment (with and without the adjunct use of metronidazole) of destructive periodontal diseases (chronic periodontitis).

Normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2) and obese (BMI >30 kg/m2) women will be randomly assigned to two nonsurgical periodontal treatments:

1. scaling and root planing + placebo
2. scaling and root planing + metronidazole

Inclusion Criteria:

• Normal weight or obese (according to BMI)
• nonsmokers or former smokers (3 or more years)
• no systemic diseases that may affect periodontal treatment (diabetes, osteoporosis, steroid use)
• have 10 teeth present
• have at least 2 teeth with probing depth 6+mm and attachment loss 4+mm

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy
• Development of diabetes or other conditions that may impair periodontal healing