Objective: Vitamin E has an antioxidant effect and was suggested to induce positive effect when used in periodontitis cases. In periodontitis, malondialdehyde (MDA) is a parameter of oxidative stress and a well-established lipid peroxidation (LPO) product that was used to weigh the oxidative damages in periodontitis patients.
Aim: The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of systemic use of vitamin E as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal therapy in treatment of stage II periodontitis patients and evaluate its effect on the MDA levels in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF).
Subjects and method: Thirty patients having stage II periodontitis were included and divided into two groups: Control group only receiving scaling and root planing (SRP) and test group receiving SRP in addition systemic administration of vitamin E 400mg every other day. Clinical parameters Plaque Index (PI), Gingival Index (GI), Probing Depth (PD) and Clinical Attachment Level (CAL)) were recorded and GCF samples to assess the MDA level were collected at baseline and at 8 weeks follow up.
Results: At follow up, both groups showed statistically significant changes in all clinical parameters with no significant difference between both groups. Reduction in MDA was significant in control and test groups at the 8 weeks follow up. However, it was more significant in the test group.
Conclusion: The adjunctive use of systemic vitamin E in periodontal therapy have showed to be effective in reducing the lipid peroxidation in stage II periodontitis patients. However, the clinical profit of its use is questionable.