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Llambés F, Silvestre F-J et al. J Clin Periodontol 2005; 32: 915–920

Diabetics have more periodontal disease than non-diabetics, and if good metabolic control is not established, periodontal treatment is also compromised. However, in well-controlled diabetics, periodontal treatment is usually quite effective. Doxycycline is used as an adjunct in periodontal treatment partly for its effects on the host. In this study in a Spanish hospital, 60 type 1 diabetics (mean age 35 yrs; 30 female) with moderate or severe periodontitis were randomised to non-surgical treatment with or without a 2 week course of doxycycline. Resulting groups were similar in demographic, periodontal and smoking factors.

In both groups there were statistically significant improvements in plaque and bleeding scores, probing depths (PD) and attachment levels (PAL). There were numerically small but significantly greater improvements in the doxycycline group in bleeding scores and pockets of 6+mm. However there were no between-group differences in plaque scores and mean PD or PAL, and the trend in the latter scores did not favour the doxycycline group, although the authors suggest that a larger study might show a significant effect.