Metronidazole tablets treat periodontitis, pharmacology is the most important

Metronidazole is indeed effective in treating periodontitis, but clinical trials have shown that this drug also has certain side effects. Metronidazole is a Western medicine preparation, mainly used to treat intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. It can also be used to treat vaginal trichomoniasis. It is currently also widely used in the treatment of anaerobic bacterial infections. So how does metronidazole treat periodontitis?

Its pharmacological effects are:

This product is a nitroimidazole derivative that can inhibit the redox reaction of amoeba and cause the nitrogen chain of the protozoa to break. In vitro tests have shown that when the drug concentration is 1-2 mg/L, Entamoeba histolytica will undergo morphological changes in 6-20 hours and will be completely killed within 24 hours. When the concentration is 0.2 mg/L, Entamoeba histolytica can be killed within 72 hours.

This product has a powerful effect of killing trichomonas, but its mechanism is unknown. Metronidazole has a killing effect on anaerobic microorganisms. The metabolites generated when it is reduced in the human body also have anti-anaerobic effects, inhibiting the synthesis of bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid, thereby interfering with bacterial growth and reproduction, and ultimately causing bacterial death. It is carcinogenic to some animals.

Clinically proven, metronidazole tablets are effective in treating periodontitis. However, the following adverse reactions may also occur: 15-30% of cases experience adverse reactions, with gastrointestinal reactions being the most common, including nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal cramps, which generally do not affect treatment; neurological symptoms include headache, dizziness, occasional paresthesia, limb numbness, ataxia, multiple neuritis, etc. Large doses can cause convulsions. In a few cases, urticaria, hot flashes, itching, cystitis, dysuria, metallic taste in the mouth and leukocytopenia may occur, which are all reversible and recover on their own after stopping the drug.