Objective: To evaluate the comparative effect of curcumin and ornidazole in treating chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods: Twenty individuals of both sexes aged between 27 and 53 years diagnosed with chronic periodontitis and having pocket depths >5 mm bilaterally were selected for this study, in a split‑mouth design. Examination of plaque index, probing pocket depth, and clinical attachment level was measured for each patient. The patients received a complete prophylaxis including scaling and root planing after which, both test gels were injected into the two experimental sites chosen, that had probing depth (PD) >5 mm and were located in symmetric quadrants. Pocket depth PD, clinical attachment loss, and plaque index were recorded at days 0 and 30. Results: At 1‑month evaluation, curcumin group showed a significant decrease in pocket PD, plaque index, and clinical attachment loss when compared to the ornidazole group. Conclusion: The results show a more favorable outcome with curcumin than ornidazole gel, thus curcumin can be used as an adjunct to nonsurgical periodontal therapy
