Treatment of chronic periodontitis: a site-specific fiber placement technique

Bacterial flora has resisted the conventional treatment in a segment of patients with adult periodontitis, creating an interest in adjunctive chemotherapeutic treatment modalities. Tetracycline hydrochloride periodontal fiber, a locally delivered antibiotic therapy, is indicated as an adjunct to scaling and root planing. This form of treatment has demonstrated a reduction in bleeding on probing and periodontal pocket depths. Clinicians have found the fiber placement technique challenging, and a considerable percentage of fibers become dislodged during the course of the 10-day treatment period. This article clarifies the treatment protocol and presents an alternative placement technique for tetracycline fiber. It simplifies the procedure for the clinician and aids in fiber retention. The learning objective of this article is to familiarize the reader with the technique and the materials utilized for site-specific tetracycline hydrochloride fiber therapy. A clinical case is used to illustrate the procedure.