The diagnosis and treatment of anaerobic periodontal infections

Dental infections are the most common infections in humans, and periodontal disease is the primary dental problem for older individuals. Current management relies on periodic debridement of tooth surfaces for prevention and on surgery for advanced cases of periodontal disease. A new treatment paradigm is based on evidence that periodontal disease is a chronic but specific bacterial infection that can be treated by a combination of debridement and systemic and/or local delivery of antimicrobial agents, such as metronidazole. This article presents a brief review of the pathophysiology of periodontal disease, along with results from 3 double-blind clinical trials in which short-term metronidazole was used successfully in patients with advanced periodontal disease.