Comparison of Local Drug Delivery Systems in Periodontal Biofilm Management Using an In vitro Model

Objectives: Bacterial biofilms cause most cases of periodontal diseases requiring effective therapeutic approaches. Local drug delivery systems (LDDS) serve as complementary treatment to standard mechanical methods through precise antibacterial activity. The research investigates how different Local DDS fare at controlling periodontal pathogens through an in vitro biofilm testing protocol. Methods: The biofilm creation process involved Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans cultivating on hydroxyapatite discs within an in vitro environment. A research using three different LDDS involved chitosan-based gel as Group A plus doxycycline-loaded microspheres in Group B together with chlorhexidine-based varnish as Group C. During a seven-day period the treated biofilms underwent bacterial viability analysis which included colony-forming unit (CFU) counts accompanied by confocal laser scanning microscopy evaluation. Group A (chitosan gel) reduced CFU by 60.5%, Group B (doxycycline microspheres) by 75.3%, and Group C (chlorhexidine varnish) by 55.8%. Analysis of variance based statistical tests resulted in p values less than 0.05 to determine significance. Results: The CFU counts reduced by 60% in Group A and both Group B and Group C showed CFU count reductions of 75% and 55% respectively. Biofilm disruption reached its most effective level in Group B according to confocal microscopy results that were statistically significant compared to the other groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: The antibacterial performance of periodontal biofilms against tested LDDS reached its maximum with microspheres containing doxycycline. The discovered potential indicates doxycycline-loaded microspheres could function as additional treatment for periodontal diseases. The study’s in vitro design limits clinical generalizability. Further in vivo and clinical studies are recommended to confirm these findings.