Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Xianling Gubao Capsule can reduce bone loss and promote the formation of osteoblasts. Its efficacy in osteoporosis and fracture has been preliminarily confirmed, but its efficacy in postmenopausal female periodontitis has not been clarified.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of Xianling Gubao Capsule on alveolar bone mass in postmenopausal women with periodontitis by cone-beam CT, providing an effective basis for its clinical use.

METHODS: One hundred and thirty-five patients with periodontitis diagnosed and treated in the Department of Stomatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guiyang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine from October 2015 to April 2017 were enrolled. All patents were randomly divided into blank group (basic treatment), control group (basic treatment+vitamin D) and experimental group (basic treatment+Xianling Gubao Capsule), with 45 patients in each group. All patients received oral hygiene and health education, and were guided to brush their teeth correctly and self-control plaques. Basic treatments for periodontal disease were performed to eliminate plaque and calculus by cleaning and curing the gums, and smoothing the root surface, once 3 months for 6 continuous months. The control group received oral Calci-D (600 mg of calcium and 125 U of vitamin D per tablet), one tablet per day, for 6 continuous months. The experimental group was orally given Xianling Gubao Capsule 1.0 g/time, 3 times per day, 3 months as a course of treatment, for two consecutive courses. Cone-beam CT was used to detect the changes of bone mineral density and height of alveolar bone defect in all patients before treatment, 3 and 6 months after treatment. Ethics approval was obtained from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guiyang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine on May 29, 2015 (approval No. K2015-186).

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Compared with the baseline, the alveolar bone defect height was significantly reduced in the experimental and control groups (P < 0.05), and bone mineral density was significantly increased in the two groups (P < 0.05). There were no changes in the alveolar bone defect height and bone mineral density in the blank group (P > 0.05). The improvement of alveolar bone defect height and bone density was better in the experimental group than the control group (P < 0.05). (2) With the increase of age and the aggravation of periodontitis, the alveolar bone defect height gradually increased and bone mineral density gradually decreased (P < 0.05). The alveolar bone defect height and bone mineral density of the patients aged from 46 to 50 were significantly improved after treatment (P < 0.05). The bone mineral density of the patients aged from 51 to 55 years increased significantly (P < 0.05), but the alveolar bone defect height had no significant changes (P > 0.05). The alveolar bone defect height and bone mineral density of the patients older than 55 years had no changes (P > 0.05). (3) Alveolar bone defect height and bone mineral density were significantly improved in patients with mild and moderate periodontitis (P < 0.05), while no significant change in alveolar bone defect height and bone mineral density was found in patients with severe periodontitis (P > 0.05). To conclude, the treatment of periodontitis by Xianling Gubao Capsule can significantly improve the alveolar bone defect height and bone mineral density, and cone-beam CT can be used to evaluate its clinical efficacy.

Key words: cone-beam CT, Xianling Gubao Capsule, postmenopausal women, periodontitis, alveolar bone mass, alveolar bone height, bone mineral density, periodontal reconstruction