DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF DENTAL FILMS CONTAINING TETRACYCLINE HCL FOR PERIODONTITIS by NIDHI GUPTA

by NIDHI GUPTA (Under the Direction of J. C. Price) ABSTRACT Controlled release local drug delivery systems offer advantages compared to systemic dosage forms for periodontitis. The objective of this research was to design and evaluate sustained release dental films containing tetracycline HCL in a non-biodegradable carrier for targeted delivery of drug. Screening experiments revealed that the rate of drug release increased with an increase in the amount of drug loading in the films. Eight batches of dental films were prepared by varying three independent variables. In DSC studies, the glass transition temperature of the polymer decreased after its inclusion in the film. In vitro release studies showed that plasticizer had an effect on the rate of drug release. Tetracycline HCL films were successfully prepared using ethyl cellulose and these films were able to sustain the release of drug for one week.