The periodontal status of subjects receiving non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs

A test group of 22 subjects who had been taking non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs for periods in excess of one year were matched with a control group of 22 office workers with reference to age and Plaque Index. It was found that the test group had significantly lower values of Gingival Index and shallower depths of pockets than the control group of subjects. There was a trend also for there to be less loss of attachment in the test group. These results were interpreted as indicating that anti‐inflammatory drugs may influence the response of the periodontal tissues to plaque by reducing the prostaglandin concentration in the tissues. The slight decrease in loss of attachment in the test group may also be explained by the reduction in prostaglandin synthesis in the subjects taking anti‐inflammatory drugs.