Overview of Compounds that may be Carriers of Metronidazole Used in Topical Treatment of Chronic Periodontitis

Periodontal diseases are now one of the greatest challenges for modern dentistry. Tooth loss impacts on systemic diseases in many patients. It seems therefore that the treatment of chronic periodontitis is beneficial not only for overall dental health but also for overall general health. Currently, the treatment of periodontal diseases emphasizes a maximum of local treatment without systemic complications. The creation of local drug carriers is of great importance and is very useful in periodontic practice. Elimination of side effects from overall treatment creates a good basis for long-term treatment especially in patients with systemic diseases. However, the oral environment does not create favorable conditions for topical pharmacotherapy. The continuous flow of saliva, cheek movement, mealtimes, talking - all these factors make it difficult to maintain medicine long enough on the mucosa or in the periodontal pocket. The application of the medicine itself to the periodontal pocket is difficult; additionally, both the ability to control the amount of medicine released and the medicine continuation time in the pocket is often unpredictable. Modern pharmacology and biotechnology are in search of new solutions and ways to deliver medicines topically. The popular carriers of the past have now been abandoned due to the fact that they required removal from the treated site after a few days. They caused a number of disadvantages, e.g. periodontal tissue damage during application. Modern muco-adhesive medicine carriers produced on the basis of hydrophilic compounds are of particular interest. Several studies have demonstrated ease of application and good retention in the pocket