Comparative evaluation of the efficacy of photodynamic therapy and diode laser as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal therapy- A clinical study

Abstract

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and diode laser (DL) therapy have been
proposed to improve the effectiveness of periodontal treatment. However, clinical studies
evaluating the efficiency of these treatments have been inconclusive. Therefore, the aim is to
evaluate and compare the efficacy of photodynamic therapy and diode laser as an adjunct to
non-surgical periodontal therapy.
Methods:A split-mouth clinical trial was conducted in 20 patients presenting at least two
contralateral teeth with a probing pocket depth (PD) ≥ 5 mm and bleeding on probing (BOP)
on both sides of the mouth. All patients were submitted to anone-stage full-mouth
disinfection (OSFMD) protocol. The selected sites randomly received either (1) PDT
(methylene blue as a photosensitizer activated by diode laser) or (2) Diode Laser. Clinical
parameters were assessed at baseline and at 4and 12 weeks post-treatment.
Results:In both of the groups there was a significant reductions in PD, number of deep
pockets and BOP and an increase in clinical attachment level (CAL) after 4 and 12 weeks, but
there were no differences between the two groups. There was no change in the gingival level
(GL) of either group for all periods of analysis. A decrease in the number of moderate pockets
(4–5 mm) was found in the DLgroup(5.17 ± 4.21) when compared to the PDT group (7.12 ±
5.25),, but only after 4 weeks.
Conclusion:PDT and DL therapies resulted in the improvement of periodontal clinical
parameters; however, there were no distinct differences between the two treatment modalities were observed