The effect of gel containing 2% Ibuprofen and 2% Povidone Iodine on wound healing after periodontal surgery: A Randomized Control Study

·        One of the major problems in dentistry is the post operative complications; the most common ones are pain, bleeding, infections, swelling and trismus.1 The meticulous assessment and restraining these symptoms, particularly pain and infections, is efficacious to achieve patient’s solace.

·        Pain is an unpleasant emotional experience usually initiated by noxious stimulus and transmitted over a specialized neural network to CNS where it is interpreted as such.2 The pain after operation is increased by inflammation amalgamated with primary repair. The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to control pain is routinely practiced.

·        One of the NSAID’s is Ibuprofen. It is derived from Propionic acid. It acts by inhibiting the enzyme Cyclooxygenase (COX), which is required for synthesis of Prostaglandin (PG) via Arachidonic acid pathway.3

·        An additional embodied aspect is the occurrence of secondary infections. This is encouraged by the microbial activity in the oral cavity. Amongst the different antimicrobial agents, Povidine Iodine has been widely used due to its benefits, including rapid wound healing and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against perio pathogens.

·        The antimicrobial activity of Povidine Iodine occurs after the Iodine disassociates from the complex. Once in free form, Iodine rapidly penetrates microbial cell membrane and interacts with proteins, nucleotides and fatty acids in the cytoplasm and cytoplasmic membrane. This interaction ultimately results in rapid cell death.4

·        In the management of periodontal flap surgeries, in order to obtain high antimicrobial activity and low systemic complications local drug delivery system can be used. One such drug delivery agent is gel form.

·        Gels are semisolid devices containing an adequate concentration of drug and delivered at specific sites. They are easy to prepare and administer. They further possess a property of bio adhesivity that enhances the retention time at the operated site.5

·        Acknowledging the aforementioned advantages of the gel form, it might be prudent to utilize the analgesic effect of Ibuprofen and antimicrobial properties of Povidine Iodine as the fundamental elements of the gel.