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Objectives: Osteoporosis is a common skeletal disorder affecting postmenopausal women. Data suggest that postmenopausal women are at increased risk of periodontal diseases. Amino bisphosphonates are potent inhibitors of bone resorption and effectively used in the treatment of osteoporosis. Preliminary data indicate that there is a potential role for bisphosphonates in the management of periodontitis. Hence, this randomized placebo-controlled trial was designed to investigate the clinical efficacy of amino bisphosphonate on periodontal disease status among postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients were randomly allocated to two treatment groups: Group A, which received scaling and root debridement and 70 mg weekly single oral dose of alendronate drug, and Group B, which received scaling and root debridement and placebo drug for 6 months. Clinical periodontal measurements were carried out for all patients at the baseline and 6 months later. Mandibular bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using a dual energy X-ray absorptiometer at the beginning of the study and the end of 6 months. Results: A weekly single oral dose of 70 mg alendronate was well-tolerated. The intragroup comparison showed significant improvement in periodontal parameters in both groups. The intergroup comparison showed a significant increase in BMD after 6 months in Group A when compared with Group B (P = 0.0179). Conclusion: Single oral dose of 70 mg alendronate per week is well-tolerable, gastro-intestinally safe, and improves the clinical outcome of nonsurgical periodontal therapy.

Background: The mainstay of periodontal therapy is mechanical removal of subgingival plaque. There is considerable interest in supplementing it with the use of antibiotics and antiseptics. Many drawbacks are associated with these adjunctive pharmacological regimens such as development of resistance to antibiotics and disruption of microflora of the gastrointestinal tract. Hence, alternate means of killing subgingival bacteria are clearly desirable. One such method is the use of laser. Aim: This study aimed to investigate antibacterial capabilities of gallium-arsenic (Ga-As) laser on photosensitized periodontopathic organisms. The three bacteria selected for the study were Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Prevotella intermedia. Settings: The subjects for the study were selected from the patients visiting the Department of Periodontics, Karnataka Lingayat Education Society's Institute of Dental Sciences, Belgaum. Design: In vitro study design. Materials and Methods: Subgingival plaque samples collected from chronic periodontitis patients were cultured anaerobically for 72 h. Predetermined number of colonies of each bacterium was taken and was then divided into cases and control groups. Both groups were photosensitized using toluidine blue O (TBO) dye and the case groups were irradiated with Ga-As laser. Bacterial colonies were then serially diluted and were incubated for subculture. After incubation period, the number of viable bacterial count was performed. Statistical Analysis: Wilcoxon-signed rank test was carried out to determine significance of reduction on subsequent dilution within the bacterial group. Mann–Whitney U-test was performed to determine the significance of reduction between cases and control of particular bacterial group. Results: The results revealed substantial reduction in the viable bacterial count. F. nucleatum was found to be most sensitive to killing by laser irradiation followed by P. intermedia and then P. gingivalis. Further, the TBO dye per se did not have any significant bactericidal effect. Conclusion: Photodynamic Therapy may prove to be a promising method for eradicating periodontopathic bacteria in near future.