Boric acid as an adjunct to periodontal therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of boric acid as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal therapy, in comparison with a placebo adjunct, in terms of changes in probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment level (CAL), in patients with periodontitis. Methods: Four electronic databases were searched from inception to May 2020 (PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, EMBASE via OVID and Web of Science). Clinical outcomes were extracted, pooled and meta-analyses conducted using mean difference with standard deviations. Results: For PPD, a mean additional reduction of 0.58 mm (95% CI: −0.03–1.19 mm, p = 0.06) was observed at 3 months and a mean additional reduction of 1.18 mm (95% CI: 0.97–1.40 mm, p < 0.05) at 6 months, compared with placebo. For CAL, a mean additional gain of 0.62 mm (95% CI: −0.07–1.32 mm, p = 0.08) was observed at 3 months and a mean additional gain of 1.24 mm (95% CI: 0.89–1.58 mm, p < 0.05) at 6 months, compared with placebo. No adverse events were reported in any studies. Conclusions: The adjunctive use of boric acid in non-surgical periodontal therapy results in improved treatment outcomes at 3 and 6 months, with no adverse events reported.