Fiki Muhammad Ridho, Bayu Cahyo Bintoro, Anis Irmawati, Siska Maulidina Cahyani, Anisa Dias Nuraini, Faj'rian Haikal Faros, Ridwan Alfatah, Raed Labib
Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of curcumin as an adjunct therapy for scaling and root planing (SRP) in patients with periodontitis. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCO was performed. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to assess changes in probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), gingival index (GI), and sulcular bleeding index (SBI). Results were reported as mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Twenty-five RCTs were included. Compared with SRP alone, adjunctive curcumin was associated with greater improvements in PPD (MD = −0.45, 95% CI: −0.64, −0.26; p < 0.00001; I2 = 92%), CAL (MD = −0.39; 95% CI: −0.69, −0.08; p = 0.01; I2 = 94%), GI (MD = −0.20; 95% CI: −0.30, −0.10; p < 0.0001; I2 = 87%), and SBI (MD = −0.43; 95% CI: −0.71, −0.15; p = 0.003; I2 = 91%). Sensitivity analyses indicated robust results and formal tests did not observe publication bias; however, substantial between-study heterogeneity warrants cautious interpretation. Conclusions: Curcumin demonstrates potential as an adjunct to SRP in periodontitis management; however, its clinical efficacy has not yet been definitively established. Well-designed, multicenter RCTs employing standardized intervention protocols and longer follow-up durations are required to confirm these findings and support integration into evidence-based clinical practice. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd
Department of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, 60132, Indonesia; Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, 60132, Indonesia; Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Yogyakarta, 55164, Indonesia; Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Islam Indonesia, Yogyakarta, 55584, Indonesia; Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Islam Negeri Walisongo, Semarang, 50185, Indonesia; Department of Oral Surgery, Faculty of Dental Medicine, 21 September University of Medical and Applied Sciences, Sana'a, 17021, Yemen
