The Atridox™ product (8.5% doxycycline in the Atrigel® Delivery System) combines a biodegradable polymer with doxycycline, an antibiotic that kills bacteria associated with periodontal diseases. It is a site-specific anti-microbial delivery system intended for use in the non-surgical treatment of chronic adult periodontitis.

The treatment is applied to an infected periodontal pocket as a fluid, where it solidifies, releasing the drug for a period of about seven days. Gain of attachment and reduction of pocket depths are the primary clinical parameters used to assess outcomes after periodontal therapy.

Analysis of clinical trial with Atridox revealed:

1. Atridox was statistically superior to placebo.
2. Atridox was clinically equivalent to scaling and root planing.
3. Both Atridox and scaling and root planing were statistically superior to oral hygiene alone.

It should be noted that mean probing depth reduction (1.3 mm) and gain of clinical attachment (0.8mm) are considered limited alterations in patients with advanced periodontitis. Therefore, the magnitude of expected results need to be considered by each practitioner in light of the severity of the defects being treated.

Concern has been expressed in the medical/dental community regarding the development of resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Accordingly, the use of antibiotics is often reserved for sites that are non-responsive to conventional therapy. At present, the Academy is not aware of any data available regarding the need for further surgical or non-surgical treatment of sites after treatment with Atridox.

In addition, the Academy is not aware of any studies that have addressed the use of Atridox in diseases other than adult periodontitis (i.e., localized juvenile periodontitis, rapidly progressive periodontitis). Likewise, the Academy is not aware of any investigations that have addressed the utility of Atridox in specific types of defects, such as furcations, intrabony lesions. Long-term (>1 year) data regarding the stability of treatment outcomes are also not available.

Each practitioner must determine the usefulness of Atridox in light of the available data and the needs of the individual patient. Thus, further studies are warranted to determine the long-term benefits for use of Atridox as an adjunct to root planing and scaling.