The purpose of this study was to evaluate the substantivity of experimentally developed gel type tetracycline HCl and a mixture of tetracycline-citric acid gel, and compare to those of solution type tetracycline HCl. 11 extracted anterior teeth were subjected to this study. After scaling and root planing teeth were randomly divided into 3 treatments groups : group 1; 3 teeth were irrigated with tetracycline HCl(50mg/ml) solution , group 2; tetracycline gel (5%) was inserted in the periodontal pockets of 3 teeth, group 3; a mixture of tetracycline and citric acid gel was inserted in the pockets of 3 teeth. And 2 teeth treated in 0.9 % sterile saline served as controls. After 5-minute exposure, each tooth immediately extracted and incubated at room temperature for 22 days in tris-buffered saline as a desorption media. The total volume of TBS was removed and replaced with fresh TBS, at 24-h intervals. Removed desorption media transferred to a sterile vial and stored at -70 oC. This procedure was repeated every 24 h throughout the 22-day desorption period. Using Porphyromonas gingivalis as an indicator organism, a microtiter assay was used to evaluate antimicrobial activity desorbed from the teeth.

50mg/ml tetracycline HCl solution exhibited the longest antimicrobial activity. Compared to saline treated group, it showed significant difference on the day 1 and day 2 desorption period.

The ODs of 5% tetracycline gel and a mixture of tetracycline-citric acid gel were significantly different during the first 24 hour only.

There was no statistically significant difference after the day 3 between the groups.(p<0.05).

Despite our expectation a mixture of tetracycline-citric acid gel did not show longer antimicrobial activities than those of tetracycline gel, and the solution type exhibited the longest activities. Because the gel type agents may stay in the subgingival environment longer than the solution, if the teeth were not extracted immediately after the delivery of the agent, the result could be different. hus this result suggests the possibilities of practical use of these kind of gel type agents.