Comparative Evaluation of Antimicrobial Coated Versus Non-Coated Silk Sutures in Periodontal Flap Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study is aTriple-blind randomized clinical trial designed to evaluate and compare clinical healing, plaque accumulation, and microbial colonization associated with ciprofloxacin-loaded gold nanoparticle-coated (CPG-NP), ciprofloxacin-coated, and non-coated 3-0 silk sutures following periodontal flap surgery. The study aims to test the hypothesis that nanoparticle-based antibiotic-coated sutures may provide improved clinical healing and reduced microbial colonization compared with conventional sutures. The primary outcome measures include plaque accumulation assessed using the Visible Plaque Index, early wound healing assessed using the Early Wound Healing Index, and microbial colonization determined by colony-forming unit (CFU) analysis of retrieved sutures on 8th day following periodontal flap surgery for all the groups. The secondary outcome measures include postoperative pain, which will be assessed by the number of analgesic tablets consumed by the patient and by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) on the 8th postoperative day following periodontal flap surgery for all the groups.