Effect of Local Cannabidiol on Clinical and Inflammatory Outcomes in Periodontal Maintenance Patients.

The purpose of this study is to determine if CBD has any effect on local inflammation in periodontal maintenance patients. This research is significant and innovative as it will act as a pivotal study to determine if CBD is worthy of further study in the area of periodontal disease and it will be a human clinical trial focusing on a specific aspect of periodontal disease, the maintenance patient. Many successful therapies exist for the active, untreated periodontal patient. Unfortunately, periodontology has not yet discovered a therapy that will predictably treat local inflammation in these patients which are at risk for further pocketing, bleeding on probing, bone loss and ultimately, tooth loss. Although CBD has been patented in various forms since the 1940s, its acceptance and availability to patients has only recently expanded exponentially. Marketing of CBD to periodontal patients as a means to control inflammation is already commonplace online and in CBD-specific shops; it is the duty of periodontology to determine the efficacy and success of this known anti-inflammatory compound as it relates to clinical periodontal parameters. To determine if CBD is a successful adjunct to conventional periodontal inflammation control therapies would be a boon to the advancement of oral health and to millions of patients that could benefit from this treatment.