Objectives: The present study was carried out to determine if non-surgical therapy adjuncted with local drug delivery of tetracycline fibers produces at least optimally comparable results as surgical therapy in non-insulin dependent diabetic individuals with moderate to severe periodontitis. Method and Materials: 80 sites with periodontal pockets measuring 5-8 mm in 40 controlled non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus patients were treated with either tetracyclinelocal drug deliveryorflap surgery. Measurements of Probing pocket depth and Clinical attachment level at selected sites in each patient along with Plaque Index and Gingival Index were documented at baseline and after 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 9 weeks and 12 weeks post treatment. Results: Both non-surgical therapy adjuncted with local drug delivery and surgical therapy were found to be comparably effectivein reduction of all parameters except Probing Pocket Depth, for which surgical therapy wasstatistically significantly more efficacious(p<0.01), though clinically the difference was insignificant. Conclusions: Within the limits of the study, non-surgical therapy adjuncted with local drug delivery of tetracycline fibers appears to be clinically as efficacious as surgical therapy and may be employed as the preferred therapy for treatment of deep pockets measuring 5-8 mm in controlled non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus patients.