Evaluation of Cefixime and Ofloxacin as an Adjunct to Scaling and Root Planing in the Treatment of Generalized Chronic Periodontitis: A Clinicomicrobiological Study

infections, posing challenges to straightforward antimicrobial therapeutic approaches. 4 Ofloxacin is an antibiotic that belongs to the fluoroquinolone (FQ) family.It prevents bacteria from multiplying by inhibiting the formation and repair of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). 5 Quinolones work by inhibiting DNA gyrase, the enzyme responsible for unwinding and supercoiling bacterial DNA prior to replication. 6uinolones prevent bacterial multiplication and transcription as a result.As FQs are effective against the Pasteurellaceae family, which includes Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, 7 they can be utilized to treat A. actinomycetemcomitans-related periodontitis. 8 IntroductIonPeriodontitis is a bacterial infection characterized by gingival inflammation, gingival recession, periodontal pocket formation, progressive attachment loss, bone loss, pathological tooth movement, and ultimately tooth loss. 1 Periodontal disorders are now recognized as infections caused by unique microbes colonizing in subgingival biofilm on the nonshedding areas of the oral cavity.The absence of favorable bacteria, the presence of bacterial infections, and a susceptible host appear to be the key etiological components of periodontal disease. 2 Mechanical debridement, such as scaling and root planing (SRP), or surgical techniques, have generally been used to clear or inhibit subgingival microbial complexes.However, due to the evolution of pathogenic microbiota over time, systemic antibiotic therapy may be necessary as an adjunct to managing bacterial infections.Mechanical treatment alone is sometimes unsuccessful because pathogens can penetrate periodontal tissues. 3 The majority of potential pathogens are found exclusively in the human mouth, but superinfecting organisms such as enteric gram-negative rods, Pseudomonas, staphylococci, and yeasts may also be present in periodontal pockets.Rather than a single pathogenic species, periodontal lesions often harbor a spectrum of potential pathogens.Gram-negative anaerobic rods are the most common periodontal pathogens.Some pathogens, however, are gram-positive facultative anaerobic cocci and rods, while others are gram-negative facultative anaerobic rods.Antibiotic susceptibility varies widely among suspected periodontal